The Kingdom is near

Yesterday morning we visited pastor Zabala's church about an hour's drive away from Butuan in quite a remote area where the vegetation is much denser and the housing even more basic. We love visiting this church because of the anointing upon the worship. Young and old sing with their whole hearts and the heavens seem to be open when they worship. The worship leader, Gideon has a voice of an angel and because of the anointing, young singers and musicians are drawn to this church. The girl with the beanie (in the picture on the right), called Isabel, also sang and we were simply amazed at what was coming out of her mouth. She lives in a very remote area and is part of the local tribal people. Frances and I shared a message on the reality of the Kingdom which God proved with touching the people with His presence. It was wonderful! After the meeting we had lunch together. It seems we are having lunch earlier and earlier each day. We got to taste some Jack-Fruit which tastes a bit like a mixture between pineapple and banana. On our way back to Butuan I spotted a Filipino recycling station.















In the afternoon we went to Butuan's favourite new shopping mall that is completely air-conditioned, where we enjoyed a coffee together with Julius, Roszel, Berwyn and Liberty. At the coffee place we met another pastor with whom I chatted and was able to encourage with a prophetic word. It was a divine appointment and we all left very much filled in our spirits.

In the evening we were invited to Julius and Roszel's new home and Aaron, Julius' brother cooked for us. It was a wonderful evening and a joy to see Yrah-Lee and Jonkris (Julius and Roszel's beautiful children). It was another special day and such a joy to see people encounter God as we share His love and encouragement with them.

This morning we went to the local rubbish dump where many poor families live in make-shift houses. In the middle of the dump is a little school building where little 3 and 4-year olds go to school. We visited the school and I told these little gems the story of the little boy with a lunch box filled with 3 pieces of bread, 5 pieces of fish and rice who came upon a man speaking to thousands of people on the mountainside and how God multiplied the little boy's lunch. It was a lot of fun and the little gems listened attentively. It is such a joy to share the reality of God with these people and to see the joy of hope shine on their faces as they listen to the good news.

After our visit we went to Bo's where we had a planning meeting with Julius, Roszel and Berwyn to discuss the next steps of our work together and future planning. It was a very exciting meeting and all of us sense God's hand upon what we are doing and plan to do in the future! This evening we have our second session with the core leadership team of KLB.

We are so excited about furthering God's Kingdom here and our prayer is that many will catch the vision so we can pour even more resources into this fertile and fruitful area of ministry.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:32-34

Raising the Next Generation

After a good night's rest and a few souvenirs from some Philippine mosquitoes, we had our breakfast (of course including my traditional morning mangoes) and then made our way to Bo's where we collected our cup-of-cinos and where we had arranged to be picked up by Berwyn. In the morning we spent time with the core leadership group. Once again Frances and I spoke about essence and form so that the leaders understand that our purpose in planting Kingdom Life Butuan is not to form a copy of how we do things in Frankfurt but that they understand why we do what we do so that they have the freedom to have their own expression of Kingdom values and the essence of Kingdom living. Frances and I showed them how we need to live from the reality of the Kingdom to bring heaven on earth. They are a very young group of people who are hungry for God and excited to be part of what God is doing through KLF and now through KLB.

After a quick lunch we did some admin stuff and then made our way to one of the areas where KLB ministers to the street children. The place where the children meet is in one of the homes of one of the members a little further out from Butuan in a slightly remote area where there are no other churches or organisations looking after the children's needs apart from KLB now. As we arrived we saw a heap of flip flops (sandals) that fitted some very tiny feet, gathered at the entrance of a wooden-paneled house. Inside were over 30 children seated on the floor as some of the KLB leaders sang songs with them. I was asked to share a message with them. On the way to the gathering, I had asked the Holy Spirit what to share and then He gave me the idea to share the truth of God's love using a banana. Needless to say the kids and I had a lot of fun as I explained to them that God loves bananas and that He is more concerned about what is inside us than what the skin looks like! After the message, the kids each received a lunch box with fried noodles and bread in it. They were delighted and everyone tucked in with joy. It is really moving to see how people who live in such humble conditions open their homes for the benefit of the poor and needy. There is such love and kindness released through their generosity that reveals the heart of the Father and the nature of the Kingdom.

After our time with the children we headed back to KLB where I was asked to share a word with the KLB youth group. We looked at what it means to receive fullness of life in Christ how God has created everyone of them uniquely for His pleasure and purposes. After the meeting we were brought back to the hotel so we could get an early night because tomorrow morning I have a radio broadcast at the heavenly hour of 6:00am and that without my cup-of-cino! "Gooooood morning Butuaaaaaan!"
No cockroaches sighted today...

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3

 

Let the little children come to me!

Glory to God!

Halelujah! A new coffee shop has been opened near the hotel so we could start the day with a proper Latte and a great conversation with pastor Berwyn and pastor Julius about building God's Kingdom in Butuan and in the Philippines. It was a great opportunity to hear what God has placed on their hearts and for us to share our passion for God's Kingdom with them.

We then made our way to the landfill (rubbish dump) where many people live. It is unimaginable that people actually live amongst the garbage and in the stench of refuse. These are the poorest of the poor but everywhere we went we were greeted with curiosity and joy! God has a passion for the poor and it was a joy to bless them. As we made our way back to the car we were asked by a local school teacher whether we perhaps had any paper and pencils for their little school right next to the rubbish dump. We told them we didn't but went straight to the supermarket to buy the items needed for 50 children and will give it to them tomorrow. I felt it important to reveal the Father's promise of "when you ask, you will receive!" What a privilege to reveal Abba's love!

After lunch in Butuan's only shopping mall, we had some time with Berwyn and Julius before going to the middle of Butuan to feed the street children. Sadly the government has recently issued a new law that does not permit street children to beg in public places so we only found a few that we then took with us (great fun for the kids to be in the car with us) to the orphanage - one tiny building for the whole region! We were shocked. We were shown into the building and saw the pitiful state of the interior. We met a dozen kids that had been brought in because of abadonment, sexual abuse and the like. We ministered to a little 10 year old girl that had been raped by her step-father and a 16 year old girl who had a 1 month old baby (she too had been raped). We spent some time with these broken kids and I spoke to them about how Jesus loves them and will never reject them. We prayed for them, sang with them, danced with them and fed them. I felt the Lord's compassion as I ministered to these children. Our God is the God of all comfort and a Father to the fatherless!

After our visit to the orphanage, we still had plenty food left so we made our way to the main bus terminal near the town centre where we gathered around 15 children to share God's love with them and feed them. It was another precious time as they listened intently to the message of the Father's love and how Jesus came to give them a hug from the Father. After the message I invited the children for a big hug and went round to each of them to impart the Father's love. It was wonderful to see how these little ones received Abba's love.

After feeding the little group we made our way to see the youth football teams pastor Julius coaches and ministers too. About 25 kids gathered as I spoke to them about how God has created them for a purpose and to be part of His team! We had a lot of fun and the kids really listened. After the message and prayer they too tucked into the meals Aaron and Rose had prepared earlier today for the various kids we would be ministering to today.


It really has been a day of contrasts and a day of experiencing the Father's compassion for the poor, the fatherless, the broken and the children. There is so much need here but at least we could make a difference to a few precious souls today. Thank you Jesus!

"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10:13-16

 

From the highest to the lowest

Today has been a day of contrasts! This morning Pastor Berwyn and I had an appointment with the mayor of Cabadbaran. It was on our hearts to meet him and not only make Berwyn's work known to him but also to encourage him as a leader in this nation. We were warmly received and I was encouraged to discover that he is a Christian. He told us that they have a weekly prayer meeting and that when the new City Hall was built he had the words, "To God be all the glory" put over the entrance! We assured him of our prayers and told him that we wanted to encourage him as a leader to pursue God's will. I told him that God had spoken to me prior to my visit that the Lord has it on His heart to restore the value and dignity of the women in this nation. Pastor Berwyn shared what he is doing with Mabini Christian Fellowship and the poor "mountain people" and the mayor was pleased, encouraging Berwyn to continue this much needed work. When I was in Hong Kong, I had bought a book on leadership that I gave the Mayor as a gift. He was very pleased as he enjoys reading and he asked me to write something in it. We then prayed together and we blessed him and his work. It was amazing! Praise God!

After visiting the mayor we again looked at some plots and premises to get an idea of the cost and availability in this area. After a quick lunch we made our way toward the mountain area near Butuan City where the "mountain people" were waiting for us to lead the church service. Because the place where the church is situated is quite remote we had to travel by motorbike! A first for me and a little scary.

The church was full of children and a few adults and I knew I was going to have to rely again on the Holy Spirit to communicate whatever He had planned for us. After a few songs I was asked to preach. I praise the Lord for His Anointing as I taught the children and adults how God can turn the little we have into a miracle as I graphically described the feeding of the 5000 from the little boy's perspective who shared his lunch with Jesus. I also told them how important it is that we taste God for ourselves using a mango to explain the goodness of God! It's all God's grace and I praise Him for His faithfulness! I then asked those who wanted to taste God for themselves and who wanted to give their lives to God to respond and over 10 people gave their lives to Jesus! Hallelujah!

Once again I had a lot of fun with the children and the adults and after our supper together the children began surrounding me and talking to me. They then sang me their songs quite spontaneously and they even continued whilst I filmed them. I was absolutely overwhelmed with their joy and love for God. These children have nothing and yet they have everything! Berwyn was telling me how they once asked for spaghetti as they had never tasted it before and wanted to have some! He also told me that he and some other pastors are fighting for the rights of the "mountain people" who are discriminated against as many don't even have birth certificates or marriage certificates. The kids were also telling me how they sometimes have 6 to 8 brothers and sisters! They were such a joy to be with today and it it was such a blessing for me to lay hands on each one of them and declare the Father's love over them.

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God." Mt. 5:8

The day began with the richest but now ended with the poorest. What a day of contrasts!

Preparing the Ground

Today I spent the day with Pastor Berwyn and his family. We went to the local beach for lunch and in the afternoon Berwyn and I scouted the area to get an idea of what God has in store for the ministry here. Berwyn has it on his heart to provide a proper facility for the children in this area in order to educate them and provide for their physical needs. There is a real need here to look after these poor children (of which there are many) and provide them with some form of stability to give them hope in life. The goal is also to reach the parents with whom relationships will be formed as the children are connected to the ministry. This already happens when Berwyn has enough resources to be able to feed a group of children and share God's love and Truth with them (sometimes only twice a year). The children love Mabini Christian Fellowship and know that they are loved and accepted and can even get some food there sometimes. As we travel along the roads here there are literally hundreds of little children around, playing on the streets. Apparently this nation is over productive and the government has had to address the issue of using birth control in order to try and reduce the growing birth rate. Many religious groups however do not allow birth control and therefore the issue still remains! The short clip reveals the amount of kids at the beach and this is not the weekend! When the children saw me filming, they started to get really excited...

Tomorrow we have an appointment with the Mayor of Cabadbaran. The purpose of our meeting will be to create a relationship between the Mayor and Pastor Berwyn and to simply make him aware of the work that Mabini Christian Fellowship is doing and desires to expand. We also want him to know that we are praying for him and that he has our support as a leader in this nation. God is at work here! Hallelujah!

Let the little children...

Today I spent the morning with Pastor Berwyn, encouraging him and equipping him by giving him spiritual revelation and Kingdom principles - tools to work with to continue to build when I leave again. We then traveled to Mabini and had lunch at Berwyn's brother-in-law's home where he was celebrating his birthday with family and friends. We had a traditional roast pig and lots of sea food and I got to meet some more of the people in the community.

At 2pm we were supposed to begin the church service but Berwyn explained that in the Philippines it is common for people to come over an hour late. So the meeting "began" at 2pm with a room full of children on plastic chairs waiting for some action. There were about 30 little ones present so I began to play with them and very quickly had their complete attention. I then told them the story of Lazarus with all the actions I could think of as well as the story of Peter throwing the net on the other side of the boat and catching many fish. I was amazed! I had the children's attention for over an hour and was able to communicate that Jesus gives life and that when we depend on ourselves we will only catch one fish but when we depend on Jesus, we will catch a whole net full. It was a wonderful and most thrilling experience as well as a lot of fun and laughter!

At around 3pm the adults began filtering in and after a time of worship in song I preached and ministered to these precious people for over 2 hours. The Lord was present and the Holy Spirit touched the lives of those who came forward to receive from God. One man gave his life to the Lord and I prophesied over almost everyone, revealing God's compassion and love for these poor and broken people. The Lord affirmed and declared His abundant love to them and they were deeply touched and encouraged.

I praise God for His faithfulness and outpouring of love.

Tomorrow I will be ministering at another church and I am looking forward to what God will do!