October 31, 1997

Vol. 5 Issue 4

EDITORIAL

We are in the midst of preparations for our mission trip to the Philippines (December 18 to January 12). Many have expressed a desire to make a mission trip and with that in mind, I want to share some suggestions with you about mission trips. Most everyone is involved in these trips in some fashion. Some going, some giving to help those that are going and most praying that the trip will be safe and fruitful in the Kingdom of God.

If you have a desire to make a mission trip, pray, plan and prepare. Be sure that your purpose in going is to edify the body of Christ. The people in foreign lands look up to their American visitors. Their every action is noted. They become a powerful influence on all that they come in contact with. They need to see solid, consistent examples of Christians. Start by praying for the specific needs of the mission that you desire to visit. Write to them and have them share their needs with you so that you can pray effectively.

The more you know and understand about the mission, the better able you will be to plan for your trip. The living conditions, the weather, the health concerns, the distance, travel methods and restrictions and Doctrinal teachings of the mission are some of the things that you need to plan for. Plan your visit well in advance. It costs over $1700.00 for a round trip plane ticket to the Philippines. Then you will need two or three hundred more for plane tickets to travel between the Islands. Also you will need money for food. You don't want to be a burden to the mission. You want to be a blessing so plan to take care of your own needs as much as possible.

Prepare for your trip by praying, saving, studying (the Bible, the mission, the country) and communicating with the mission. Prepare well in advance. We have been planning, praying and preparing for our trip for more than a year. Plan your trip for the convenience of the host mission. We are going in December because that is when Bro. Luzan requested us to come. They have their young people's conventions every year over the winter break when their children are out of school.

There are many things that you can do on a mission trip. Not everyone is a preacher. There is a need for teachers, singers, nurses, mechanics and just about any thing you can think of. Maybe God can use you on the mission field. Pray about it! At least pray for the mission fields and those that are able to go. Not everyone is able to go for various reasons such as health or responsibilities at home.

Some mission fields are close home and are less costly to visit. But, the far away places also need the fellowship and encouragement. Some mission fields are in your back yard. Some are in your homes. The fields are white and ripe for harvest. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send forth laborers into the harvest.

A mission trip is not only good for the mission; it is also good for the one going. It will change your life forever. Editor.

WORLD MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP (WMF)

Thank you all for your help with the Nigeria Printing equipment project. We received $636.97 this month toward the shipment. We now have $8,047.67 towards the shipment. Praise The Lord! That should give us enough to get the shipment on the way.

Now all we need is time to get the inventory list made up and sent out. Pray for me and my helpers as we attend to this task. Thank you very much for your support.

Thank You! Editor.

Continue to send offerings for Nigeria to the treasurer:

    World Missionary Fellowship
    c/o Bro. Steve Yoder
    P. O. Box 418
    Sugarcreek, OH  44681

NIGERIA

No reports were received this month. Continue to pray for Nigeria. Communications continue to be a problem. Editor.

PHILIPPINES

September 29, 1997

Dear Editor,

Lovely Greetings from the Bible Holiness Church of God of the Philippines in the precious name above all names, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It's a privilege again to note and inform some of the reports and accomplishment for the month of September for all our loving supporters and readers abroad.

First we are able to purchase additional lot in Katidtuan just beside the chapel. We took the advantage to purchase to widen the church lot where we could build the parsonage for the pastor and family dwelling and for Sunday School rooms. The building of the additional extension in front of the chapel is going on. We used the money from Sylacauga congregation because this is their memorial chapel. Praise God!

Secondly we visited zone two in response to the letter of the brethren to settle some of the church lots and building problems. Help us pray saints because some people are squatting on some portion of the church lot. In this problem we need to fence the lot. The area is more than one thousand square meters. In the same place we need to transfer the chapel, because when the neighbor surveyed their lot some part of our building was taken. We are praying earnestly to the good Lord that He may touch the hearts of His people who are more privileged in this world for this great need.

Third, all of our offerings on the last Sunday of August in all the congregations was sent to Antipolo, Rizal for the repair of the chapel that was affected by strong wind the previous year. We want to give thanks to all the congregations who sent their help for this need.

Fourth, presently at Bannawag we're busy fencing and repairing the Kindergarten and church school buildings to be more presentable. In addition to all of the accomplishments, a part of our first withdrawal from Killbuck Savings Bank was sent to start a church building in Umingan, Pangasinan for they're in need of a place of worship in the newly purchased lot just before we came abroad.

Yesterday the last Sunday of September, we visited and preached in Romualdez congregation, also to give additional funds for them to purchase their window grills to beautify the house of worship and make it more presentable and durable. Thank God for Dover congregation who give us the offering for their Memorial Chapels.

In closing we want to give thanks to Brother Decker and God's Acres congregation who continue their monthly support for the ministry and also those congregations and pastors who completed the ministerial support, and all the congregations who are sending their offerings for the building funds. We're praying much to our father almighty to continue to richly bless you all saints who are standing for the prosperity of his kingdom in the Philippine Mission.

In God's Labor,
Bro. & Sis. D. B. Luzan, Jr.

October 17, 1997

Dear Brother Rexroth,

Greetings to all the family of God in the home and foreign mission of God from the Philippine mission. With our full trust to the father almighty that everybody are always in the victory side. By His grace we in the mission field are still victorious and in the winning side from the every technique of the enemy of his church.

Well, our holiness Camp meeting is so fast approaching. Every congregation in the Philippines are busy preparing their needs and fare in coming to attend this special gathering here in the mother church at Bannawag Church of God; we're also busy preparing as host church.

For your information December 24-29 is for Mindanao District and December 31 – January 5, 1998 will be Luzon District Camp Meeting to be held in Baguio City Church of God.

We are praying much that our six American Missionaries who are coming to attend will be safe in their journey and will be used of God to be evangelist and lecturers and inspiration to the camp meetings. The American Missionaries who are coming are the following: Bro. & Sis. Stanley Rexroth, Sis. Beth Rexroth, Sis. Sarah Rexroth (from Cumberland Valley Church of God, Shippensburg, PA), Sis. Mary Parks from Sylacauga Church of God, Sylacauga, AL and Emilie Bash from Pine Flats Church of God, Pine Flats, PA.

Our April Camp Meeting in 1998 is open to everybody who want to come and attend. We prayerfully request those coming missionaries are holding the Bible Holiness Standard in order to be an example and blessing to the Philippine mission.

How great is our God we're serving. We are glad to have the privilege to be a part of His divine family and the opportunity to give thanks to all the faithful supporters of the Bible Holiness Church of God in the Philippine mission.

We are praying much that God may continue to bless you all Saints so that you can continue helping us in the mission field before the close of time.

In God's Cause,
Bro. & Sis. D. B. Luzan, Jr.

FELLOWSHIP MEETING REPORT

The Church of God of Cumberland Valley, Shippensburg, Pa. Held their fellowship day October 4, 1997. It was a beautiful day and friends and family gathered in from far and near.

In the morning service the message was brought by Bro. Charles Beltz on "Come To Me" . He took his text from 1 John 3:8-9 and emphasized "the devil can't make you do anything you don't want to do and God won't either".

The afternoon message was brought by Bro. Lee Green on "How Familiar Are You With The Closet?" He took his text from 2 Cor. 10:3-5, 12,17-18 and emphasized "If God rewards us openly, it will be because we have spent time in secret with Him; If you spend time in the closet, you will get hungry". Editor.

DEATH

Bro. Emery Beirus died Sep. 11 (in his sleep). We saw him at Canby, OR camp meeting. He leaves behind several children & grandchildren. His wife preceded him in death several years ago. He was 76 years old. He was from Ohio, had worshipped in Carmichael, Calif., for many years, and had moved to Canby, Oregon about two years ago. By Sis. A. Ferguson

Bro. Calvin Stegmeier died Sept. 21 after a long illness. He leaves behind several children, grandchildren and great grandchildren besides his wife of many long years. His funeral was at the Church of God in Canby, Oregon where his son, David Stegmeier is pastor. He preached his father's funeral. Bro. Calvin Stegmeier was 90 years old. He was buried in Portland, Oregon. By Sis. A. Ferguson

Sis. Melvina L. Wilson, wife of Pastor William Wilson, Possum Road Church of God, Springfield, Ohio died October 5, 1997. Sis. Wilson was 60 years old and had recently been experiencing heart problems. Her funeral was conducted by Bros. Larry Dishman, Clifford Harmon and Mike Hufford. She was buried in Glen Haven Memorial Gardens, near Donnellsville, Ohio. We are thankful that we were able to attend the funeral. We have been friends and co-laborers in the Kingdom of God for over forty years. Editor

MARRIED

Brother Paul Andrews, formally of Carmichael, California and Sister Doris Edringtion of Sylacauga, Alabama were united in Holy Matrimony September 6, 1997. Brother and Sister Andrews spent their honeymoon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and will make their new home in Sylacauga, Alabama. Brother Andrews is retired now and says, Lord willing that after their new home is completed he will become active in evangelistic work. Editor

ACCIDENT

Bro. & Sis. Robert L. Mullin, Pastor of The Church of God in Hamilton, Montana had an automobile accident on September 27. They had just flew home from being in Canby, Oregon for Bro. Stegmeier's funeral. It was a night flight, the airport in Montana is in Missoula and that is about 60 miles from Hamilton. They arrived home at 3:00 a.m.. They went to a motel for some rest before going on home. They got up at 7:00 a.m. and drove home. Bro. Mullin had a funeral that afternoon. Though weary, they drove back to Missoula in the afternoon for a friend's wedding anniversary. Going home that evening Bro. Mullin fell asleep and his car rolled 3 times. The car had to be cut down the middle to get the Mullins' out. They were just 7 miles from Hamilton so they were taken to the hospital there.

Bro. Mullin had crushed ribs & a slight concussion. Sis. Mullin had a broken hip & both were bruised all over. They could not operate on Bro. Mullin's injuries, they have to heal by themselves so they released him the evening of Sept. 29 after observing him for a couple of days. Sis. Mullin was taken to the hospital on the 27th. They put her leg in traction. Then they operated on her Sept. 30, put a plate & ball in her hip. The surgery was successful. Thank the Lord!. Bro. Mullin is 89 and Sis. Mullin is 82.

By Sis. A. Ferguson

CONTENT

There is very little difference in people, but that little difference is whether it is positive or negative.

The principle is illustrated by the bride who lived with her husband in an army camp near the edge of the desert in California. Living conditions were primitive at best. The only housing they could find was a run-down shack near an Indian village; The heat was unbearable in the daytime- 115 degrees in the shade. The wind blew constantly, spreading dust and sand all over everything. The days were long and boring. Her only neighbors were the Indians, none of whom spoke English. Finally, when the loneliness and the wretched living conditions got the best of her, she wrote to her mother that she was coming home. In a short time she received a reply with these lines:

"Two men looked out from prison bars, One saw mud, the other saw stars."

She read the lines over and over again and felt ashamed. In the following days she set out to make friends with the Indians. She learned from them how to weave and make pottery. She became fascinated with their culture and history. She observed the desert and soon it, too, became a marvelous place of beauty rather than desolate and forbidding.

What had changed? Not the desert; not the Indians. Simply by changing her own attitude she had transformed a miserable experience into a highly rewarding one. "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). By Douglas F. Parsons; taken from Pulpit Helps, February, 1991 published by AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN 37422

YOU PREACH FIRST

The first sermon preached each Sunday is not by the minister, but by you! You preach a message of good cheer when you say "good morning" to those you meet as you are parking, or in the hallway and classrooms. You preach a message of "welcome!" when you slide over in the pew instead of forcing others to squeeze in front of you. You preach a message of hope and joy when you sing enthusiastically during the service. You preach a message of respect when you listen attentively while the special music is presented. You preach a message about faith when you give your tithes and offerings. If your message is positive and consistent, then the message given from the pulpit will be much better received! The Christian Herald, taken from Pulpit Helps, October, 1993 published by AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN 37422

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