While in the days of His flesh, our Lord stopped at Jacob's well and met a Samaritan woman there. Though the woman was one of a race despised by the Jews, Jesus took the opportunity to stop and teach her because He saw within her an interest for spiritual things. John 4 records some of the great spiritual lessons our Lord taught that woman. To this day, we often refer to the truths revealed on that occasion. When the disciples returned to find Jesus teaching this Samaritan woman, they "marvelled" that He was speaking to her. No doubt, they saw it as a waste of time to teach such a woman, but Jesus saw something different. Indeed, the view of Jesus is summed up in these words: "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest" (Jn. 4:35). The disciples were looking past a present harvest to a hope of something future. Jesus used His time to concentrate on doing the work needed to reap a present harvest in this Samaritan woman.
The book of Acts shows the same principles at work in the spread of the gospel. Paul remained a year and six months in Corinth though he remained only a short time in some other places. Why? The text gives the main reason by telling of the words of the Lord in a vision to Paul: "For I have much people in this city" (see Acts 18:5-11). The account of Paul's two-year stay in Ephesus is connected in the text with the fact that "all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord" (see Acts 19:8-20). At one point, the spirit of Jesus did not allow Paul and his associates to go to Bithynia, but directed them by means of a vision to Macedonia where there was a call for spiritual help (Acts 16:6-10). It is undeniable that greater time and effort were expended on teaching in areas where more fruit was borne. The Holy Spirit recognized such places and directed men to labor there. Can we see any places of this kind today?
The following letters were sent to this writer by brother Leonardo Maste who preaches in the Philippines on the island of Mindanao in a town called Polomolok, near General Santos City. It will bring both joy and tears to you:
Greetings you in the most precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. I hope that you are still in good health together with your loved ones and the brethren there. I hope that you are not affected of the tidal waves from the earthquake, so our prayers are always with you, together with faithful members of Polomolok Church of Christ, that your family is safe. But for us here in the Philippines, we are safe from the tidal waves from the earthquake, because the tidal waves are far from our country. The Lord protected to us, we are safe from the dangerous situation, and not like those from INDONESIA WHERE THERE ARE A THOUSANDS OF UNSAVED PEOPLES WHO DIED because of the tidal waves from the earthquake. Thank you for your great prayers for my family, because your prayers are a great help for our situation here in the Philippines.
Sorry I was not able to answer your letter soon because of my busy scheduled for gospel meeting in Lake Sebu and T'Boli, Polomolok, South Cotabato. Many brethren are really needing my help for their situation, because they are still learning of the truth, especially the newly converted souls. They need my assistant to teach them so that they will be more strong and faithful to the right doctrine of Christ.
Thank you for your continuing to pray for my work in the Lord, because I have a good result and successful gospel meetings the last week of December. This is the list of my scheduled gospel meetings which were held over the past few days with the help of the faithful preachers from Lake Sebu area:
Batoto Tiktik Longa T'Boli So. Cot, Gospel Meeting. Last Dec. 16 to 17, 2004--None baptized.
Lamfugod Lake Sebu Gospel Meeting. Last Dec. 21, to 22, 2004 -- 27 souls baptized.
T'Bong Lake Sabu Gospel Meeting. Last Dec. 24, to 25, 2004 -- 68 souls baptized.
Bio Lapu Polomolok Gospel Meeting. Last Dec. 27, 2004 -- 14 souls baptized..
Welcome to the one hundred nine souls (109) that were baptized to the Lord and added to kingdom of God. And please pray for my last gospel meeting which starts tomorrow in Surallah and T'Boli area, because the preachers there are requesting a last gospel meeting for the year in that place. I hope that the Lord will add more souls tomorrow into the kingdom of God.
I hope that you will be blessed to see the pictures that I attached to this message. [Pictures were of numerous people being baptized - HRO]. I also hope that you can help for the benevolence of the 6 widows. They really need help. They are very poor, but they are faithful to the Lord. May God bless you always.
About two weeks later, brother Maste sent me the following letter telling about other meeting that followed the ones noted above:
Greetings you in the precious name of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
I am always praying for your family and the work of the Lord there. How are you today? I hope that you are still in good health together with your family. I hope that you answer me after you read this letter.
Sorry I was not able to reply your letter soon. Because I was very busy for my 5 days gospel meeting in T'Kunil, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. I was very glad because our Bible lecture was very successful, because during of our gospel meeting there were 103 souls baptized last week January 5, to 8 2005. So please we need very much your prayers for our work in Lake Sebu because the work of the Lord is growing very much. Many denominational are blessed with the right doctrine of Christ. So continue to pray this work.
Tomorrow I will be in T'Boli area for 3 days gospel meeting there because I will be continuing to follow-up and encourage the newly converted to the Lord. After T'Boli, I will be proceed in Kalobehan, San Jose, General Santos City because there are three congregations in that place that need for our follow-up to encourage them that they will be faithful and remain strong to the right doctrine of Christ. And I continue to defend the right doctrine of Christ because the "one-cup Church of Christ" are trying to deceive some of the congregations. That is why I have been always visiting them in recent months.
I hope that you will be happy to receive the pictures taken during the water baptisms last week in T'Kunil. Let us welcome them into the kingdom of God. May God bless you always.
These results are not unique in the Philippines. The gospel is spreading rapidly in the Philippine
Islands because it is a field white unto harvest. It has cheered the heart and thrilled the soul of
many faithful Christians to see the great response to the gospel in that nation. Why? Because
brethren who love the Lord and the souls of the lost recognize a field white unto harvest when
they see one and react just as their Lord reacted at the well. Fields white unto harvest are not
unique to Bible times. They are here today and we must look for them and direct the needed
attention to them, thanking God for the white fields in which He has given the increase!
First Tuesday Class for February
The First Tuesday class for next month will be held on February 1st at 10am here at the building. The topic for the class will be "The Spread of the Gospel in the Philippines." We will cover in some detail the work going on in various areas as well as the challenges being faced. All are invited to attend this class and ask questions following the lesson.