The Short Report:
1500 Decisions for Christ – Many Were Muslims numerous were Terrorists, Numerous notable healings….
The Big Report:
Wednesday 9th November 6 of us, a electrical engineer Howard and his wife Leslie, Jay a Seattle missionary to the Philippines, Heather a former British Airways Flight Supervisor, my wife Jo and myself George, ventured on what for most of us was one of the most amazing weeks of my 35+ years of Christianity. Jo & I had only met these other incredible people on two previous and very brief occasions, Jay we had never met at all. But those short meetings had eternal significance, bonding of hearts and singleness of vision.
I heard about Howard & Leslie whilst out walking in the Portland Oregon hills with another friend, Ken Adams. As we walked the scenic trials we had just arrived at a waterfall and above the rush of the fall I replied to Kens question as to our next move. I said we strongly felt to return to the Philippines since our 3 months there in 2010 as they were so white to harvest and the labourers were few. He causally replied that his friend Howard frequently went there and was seeing great results and healings among the Muslims – “What” did I just hear correctly?
The roar of the waterfall was not loud enough to confuse what I thought he said, but our previous experience and knowledge of the Philippines and the Muslims there did not fit with this statement. I said “Ken, no one reaches out to the Muslims in Philippines! Our Philippine friends told us directly we should not go there at any cost as the track record for kidnap and murder was very consistent if you were white, missionary or otherwise or an affluent Chinese business man. They told us that the Muslim terrorists would go to great lengths to capture for ransom and kill if their demands were not met”. Personally I thought it was a local overreaction. But then reading the odd newspaper or catching the news in hotel foyers more than confirmed their claims on a more than frequent basis.
I heard about Howard & Leslie whilst out walking in the Portland Oregon hills with another friend, Ken Adams. As we walked the scenic trials we had just arrived at a waterfall and above the rush of the fall I replied to Kens question as to our next move. I said we strongly felt to return to the Philippines since our 3 months there in 2010 as they were so white to harvest and the labourers were few. He causally replied that his friend Howard frequently went there and was seeing great results and healings among the Muslims – “What” did I just hear correctly?
The roar of the waterfall was not loud enough to confuse what I thought he said, but our previous experience and knowledge of the Philippines and the Muslims there did not fit with this statement. I said “Ken, no one reaches out to the Muslims in Philippines! Our Philippine friends told us directly we should not go there at any cost as the track record for kidnap and murder was very consistent if you were white, missionary or otherwise or an affluent Chinese business man. They told us that the Muslim terrorists would go to great lengths to capture for ransom and kill if their demands were not met”. Personally I thought it was a local overreaction. But then reading the odd newspaper or catching the news in hotel foyers more than confirmed their claims on a more than frequent basis.
I read of a current court case regarding six political candidates, thirty two reporters and sixteen others whose election tour coach was stopped. They were dragged off horrendously sexually & physically abused then executed right there at the side of the road. The reason being so as to prevent a competitor family being elected and dismantling the corruption and negligence that allows large areas of Mindanao to be a virtual military no go area.
The former governor, his private military and police were charged and arrested for the crime. One hundred & ninety five suspects only one hundred were arrested. The police officer that broke rank and exposed this slaughter was also arrested and thrown in the same cell for eight months as the fellow police officers he identified as the murders. How’s that a contribution to a pursuit of truth and justice?
So, we removed Mindanao as an outreach possibility from our plans. Though I used to wonder “who will reach them”.
The former governor, his private military and police were charged and arrested for the crime. One hundred & ninety five suspects only one hundred were arrested. The police officer that broke rank and exposed this slaughter was also arrested and thrown in the same cell for eight months as the fellow police officers he identified as the murders. How’s that a contribution to a pursuit of truth and justice?
So, we removed Mindanao as an outreach possibility from our plans. Though I used to wonder “who will reach them”.
Fast forward to May 2011 when we were in Grabouw South Africa attending Ami & Gerrit church, another place of immense evidence of the power of the risen Lord Jesus should anyone care to visit. When Monique ….. From Cape town came to testify of her four and half month’s captivity in Mindanao by Muslim Terrorists. Her and her husband had been snatched from a holiday resort 400 km away in Indonesia, driven in a small boat across a storm tossed ocean to live in the squalor of a forest hideout under a frequent barrage of gunfire and mortar round explosion all around them.
Thankfully, Colonel Gaddafi & Nelson Mandela negotiated a release between them and they were freed. Monique gifted us a copy of her book that revealed far more gory details than her short testimony she shared. So, we were further convinced that our Philippine friends concerns about our visiting Mindanao were valid, we should not go there. We did in fact venture down to Davao for some interviews and staff training but never ventured beyond there – but, still I wondered “who will tell them”?
Back to the Oregon Falls “What’s that Ken? Who? Where did you say he goes to preach to Muslims?” Kens reply was even further amazing “Yes, Howard and his wife Leslie hold crusades among the Muslims in the south, they’ve seen terrorists get saved and healed. They also hold crusades among the Muslims in Pakistan. They’ve seen thousands come to Christ and many miracles but they don’t go as often as they’d like because of his job”. I could hardly believe what I just heard; I don’t think I could get the words from my reeling mind out quick enough. “So, where is Howard? Do you have a contact number for him? Would it be ok to call him? Can we take them for dinner or something”?
On our return to Ken’s, Vicky his wife called Leslie and told of our keenness to meet them, Leslie kindly invited us over to dinner and stay at their place Friday night. What an evening that was. What we heard from this courageous unassuming couple was mind altering in an extremely positive and challenging way... They love Christ so much that their only fear is not being found faithful in the pouring out of their lives for His glory. Yes, they had held numerous mass crusades in Ecuador, Pakistan & Mindanao Philippines.
Howard shared some amazing and refreshing thoughts about the simplicity of mass evangelism that encouraged us greatly. He said firstly, that people must realise that the anointing to reach the lost is upon the message not the messenger... There is no mystery to this.
It’s the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation – the entire gospel is in the bible but the entire bible is not in the gospels. The gospel is simply this:
The virgin birth of Christ
The sinless & miraculous life of Christ
The death & resurrection of Christ
That the preaching of the gospel is a God directive that carries power and that God Himself will confirm the word to be true with signs & wonders following the preaching of it. There is no special man, special preaching ability and special atmosphere – simply the three points of the gospel above preached and God will anoint and confirm this. How could I possibly question what Howard was telling us, he and Leslie have seen more salvations & miracles in a single evening than I have in all my Christian experience? Further, they freely told us that they themselves learnt this from Gerry & Marilyn O’Dowell who preach and teach this and they have seen some 15 million decisions for Christ, equally with outstanding and frequent miracles and healings as God faithfully again and again confirms the preaching of the simple and beautiful gospel with signs and wonders. Howard has given me his teaching notes on this if anyone would like them.
For their own efforts they humbly estimate around 100,000 decisions for Christ through their self funded outreach conducted during their vacations. They testified that they have seen every miracle except for leprosy being healed at these campaigns and the most reoccurring miracle is those born deaf & dumb being healed. They told of one woman who woke up to find her infant dead in the bed beside her. She carried the child in her arms for 15 hours until she could get to the service that night. When Howard command the spirit of death and sickness to flee and life to be made manifest in the name of Jesus Christ over the vast crowd, first the babies toes twitched, when he repeated the command the child’s eyes opened and stared at his mother. She rushed forward to testify of the miracle that Jesus had just given her son back. When asked why she had carried her dead child all day she replied because she had been told that the dead would be raised that night at the healing festival (Crusade is not a good word in Muslim nations).
Jo & I could scarcely contain tears as we watched video clips of the thousands of Muslims waving to accept Christ as the risen and ascended Christ and hear the amazing testimonies of miracles. This was not my image of mass crusade evangelists at all. Great is their reward in heaven.
I’m not sure if I slept that night as my mind went over and over the things that we had heard and seen. Leaving them next morning, we felt like we had known them all our lives. We were so blessed that the Lord had introduced us to more of His precious treasures, new friends, souls that loved not their lives unto death. It was such an honour for us.
Amazingly, we never discussed their next return to Philippines but did agree to their kind invitation to join and support them in India in January. It was a great surprise to later learn that before India they were returning to Philippines for another outreach and would be arriving in Manila within hours of our own arrival. It seemed way more destiny than it did coincidental. What a surreal joy to meet them at the airport just a few days ago.
Jay, his wife and young son, obeyed Gods call and left a peaceful life and family in Seattle to serve in the Philippines, based in south Manila. Though we had never met before, we immediately liked and love this gentle guy and his hearts to reach this nation. We will be catching up more with Jay during our time here.
Soon we were in Davao and that evening attended a local fellowship where the veterans of our team met many old friends. A former Muslim General in the Muslim liberation army now Christian was there, as was one of his feared and renowned leaders, Commander Spider, a former ruthless Muslim rebel. Under orders he had shot dead his missionary teacher at the age of 10 but turned to Christ and become a gentle God fearing evangelist who now uses the Koran to show other Muslim rebels that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God and Saviour.
Pastor King Po was there, previously a war lord fighting against Commander Spider and General Omar. He killed their men and they killed his. Now, all united in the preaching of the gospel and the reaching of Muslim terrorists. King Po has 14 pastor/evangelists in his group that reaches into far regions where we could probably never go.
Pastor King Po was there, previously a war lord fighting against Commander Spider and General Omar. He killed their men and they killed his. Now, all united in the preaching of the gospel and the reaching of Muslim terrorists. King Po has 14 pastor/evangelists in his group that reaches into far regions where we could probably never go.
Next morning we headed off to a city called Midsayap. We met the local church that was hosting the outreach and held a service. Among the attendees were some tribe’s people and Muslim rebel leaders. An older one who had been completely healed in Jesus name from being crippled the year before had brought some comrades. I took time with some of these and we enjoyed precious minutes together both before and after the service. The one I most connected with stood up for salvation and received Jesus. He met me the next day at a joint tribes, Muslim & Christian peace service where the beliefs, both Muslim & Christian was fully preached – Interestingly, people were saved and healed after the gospel of Christ was declared without compromise.
This format pretty much shaped our week with meetings at schools to thousands of kids, military barracks with soldiers, churches, indoor & out, basketball court congregations, farmers, militants, old & young all heard the gospel, with around 1500 responding and numerous miracles and healings.
At one point I strongly felt that we should find the massacre sight of the 52 massacre victims mentioned above and pray for the healing of the land. Daniel & Nehemiah had prayed and asked the Lords forgiveness for the consequences of sin committed by forefathers. God told Cain that his brother Abel’s sin cried out from the ground. Hosea tells us that the land mourns because of the lying, adultery & murder.
As it happened, our journey was to take us right past this spot. Next stop we were to meet with the new governor, the one that replaced the governor responsible for the massacre. He had to attend a meeting so we met with the assistant governor who explained that the incident was just outside their border but he was in agreement with us going there to pray since his own niece had been one of the victims. The report of actual events that he described is too horrific to print in the newsletter. In co-operation he made several attempts at calling his opposite number just over the county line to request both permission and armed guard for us. That didn’t happen on this occasion but Lord willing we will be back there in two weeks.
As it happened, our journey was to take us right past this spot. Next stop we were to meet with the new governor, the one that replaced the governor responsible for the massacre. He had to attend a meeting so we met with the assistant governor who explained that the incident was just outside their border but he was in agreement with us going there to pray since his own niece had been one of the victims. The report of actual events that he described is too horrific to print in the newsletter. In co-operation he made several attempts at calling his opposite number just over the county line to request both permission and armed guard for us. That didn’t happen on this occasion but Lord willing we will be back there in two weeks.
The night of our last meeting three nights ago, was held in a large covered outdoor basket ball arena. Howard finished preaching and the people being asked the sick began to flock forward. Usually, effort is made to avoid this since the Holy Spirit can do the work right where they are seated. They have proved this to effective that no one needs to lay hands on them since it is the Holy Spirit that does the work and the whole service is way less confusing if everyone keeps the seat.
Regardless, two lines stretched right across the front all in various stages of sickness and disability. Suddenly I felt incredible energy shooting through my body; I felt power like I could run through walls. Howard shouted OK, let’s go to work and start laying hands on these people, I found myself marching to the far end of the line and was joined by a local believer who wanted to be available to interpret if required. Everyone I prayed for, I felt the most amazing faith I knew they would be healed. First, an old man with a paralysed left leg that stuck out to the left and he could not bend it, after a short and authoritative prayer I ask him to squat down, he said he couldn’t, next thing I knew my hand was on his shoulder and I was commanding him to squat as I assisted his downward journey then pulling him up, then push him back down.
Within seconds he was shocked but squatting up and down, I was already moving to the next person as I turned and asked if he was healed – No smile, no expression other than one of surprise as he simply nodded.
Within seconds he was shocked but squatting up and down, I was already moving to the next person as I turned and asked if he was healed – No smile, no expression other than one of surprise as he simply nodded.
Next a man totally blind in one eye. It was white and milkey. I prayed a very short prayer, nothing! I prayed again, I looked at him and I can tell by his expression something has happened and the eye was clear. Next man, same problem, blindness in one eye. Same instant result. Move to the next person, the second blind man talks with the interpreter and she shouts to me “he is telling me he can see, he can see”, Marvellous but no time to turn back too many people and more coming. As I move I shout back "He can see"? They talk, she smiles, he smiles, she says “he can see”
Next, a lady shows me two toes with rotten flesh they seem welded together. A short bark of rebuke and I tell her to start wiggling her toes because the miracle has begun... She has no idea what I’m talking about so the interpreter flings her own shoe off and begins to wiggle her own toes – ah! The old lady gets it and is soon wiggling her joined toes freely and with delight.
The surge of power in my own body is amazing, the authority in the voice and command... – did they all get healed? I wish I could say yes, but that was not so. I asked Howard if he would ask the gathering again who had a miracle tonight many hands waved right back at him… God is so good.
Next, a lady shows me two toes with rotten flesh they seem welded together. A short bark of rebuke and I tell her to start wiggling her toes because the miracle has begun... She has no idea what I’m talking about so the interpreter flings her own shoe off and begins to wiggle her own toes – ah! The old lady gets it and is soon wiggling her joined toes freely and with delight.
The surge of power in my own body is amazing, the authority in the voice and command... – did they all get healed? I wish I could say yes, but that was not so. I asked Howard if he would ask the gathering again who had a miracle tonight many hands waved right back at him… God is so good.
We learned later that bombs had gone off just before or just after we had left three locations, they never told us about this till the end. One dear sister, whose home we enjoyed a fellowship dinner at had been the victim of an ambush that was a mistaken identity. 50 rebels had attacked her car with automatic fire, she had been hit many times – But God spared her life, she forgive her attackers and is now very instrumental in reaching out to the different warring factions. The day after we left her, her cousin’s husband was on his way to church on his small motorbike with his seven year old daughter and two other household members when they also were attacked in an ambush. The man died on the spot riddled with bullets the beautiful young daughter had to have a leg amputated as a result of her wounds. This is the fourth such attack her family alone has suffered. Testimony links: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2009/August/Christian-Nurse-Brings-Reconciliation-to-Philippines/
A CBN (Christian Broadcast Network) film crew joined us for some of the trip, latterly, completely outwith their set schedule but simply because they themselves loved the Lord Jesus and rejoiced to see what the Lord was doing there. The presenter host became a good friend and we hope to see her here again in Manila shortly, however, we did see her at the airport as she flew off with the crew to a further reaching island where a fellow reporter was held captive for a month, a Christian pastor was recently martyred there.. Today, following our Midsayap outreach just a few days ago, a hand grenade went off in the town centre with four killed and eight injured, two of the dead were children.
Finally for this chapter at least, it seems that the winds of divine change are occurring in Muslim held Mindanao. Courageous pastors are reaching out at great cost and risk to themselves and their families.
Time fails to tell of some of the magnificent stories, dreams and visions that the Lord Jesus has given to these heroes to stir them into action. There has been much bloodshed, many are weary with it and do not wish it for their children or children’s children.
Interestingly, the most murderous group there are the Muslim Terrorist Abu Sayef, said to be Al Qaeda backed – It seems they were the ones who captured our friend Monique and her husband. Kidnap, war and murder are simply a business to them. I understand that other accounts of Christian missionaries dying at their hands are available on Google. However, Jo quoted out of the Philippine National newspaper last night that America is sending 500 elite troops to flush out the Abu Sayef in Mindanao. I saw USA military advisers at one of the army camps we preached at and thought that unusual!
So, by the grace of God, a culture of war and terrorism is being attacked here among these beautiful people. What the future holds for these island the Lord alone knows, but if I had to describe what I thought a pending national revival would look like I would describe right here.
What can you do to help facilitate that? Certainly pray for Gods kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Next, if you are not your church leader perhaps you’d like to pass this information to your leadership in the event you/they are led to sponsor a pastor that is reaching out here? This is missions like you have never seen missions before and if anyone can use help it’s here. Be assured I would not ask anything from you that we would not personally first do all we could do... I’m due back there in 2 weeks to discuss ways of generating income for churches to facilitate freeing up the pastors and evangelists. We have several export options coconuts, organic fertiliser, mangos to name a few.
We personally are already looking to develop a coconut mill and will shortly send you the URL for the website. Despite false Chinese whispers Coconut Oil is far more effective than statins at melting bad cholesterol out of the body, regulating the heart beat, burning off fat and can stop and reverse stage 9 Alzheimer’s to near normal in less than 2 months – very credible evidence and video testimony from a pastor available if required
We already have some information on our other website www.cancer-cures-plus.com In a month it will look a lot better.
· We have 41 cancer cures
· 5 Aids Cures
· 3 Alzheimer’s Cures
· 3 Autism Cures
· Gall bladder & kidney stones can be dissolved
· Malaria, Diabetes etc etc etc
All the information is free, credible, cheap and quite fast – Please spread the word
No comments:
Post a Comment