Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Mindanao category.
Reaching Mindanao – Faith or Fear
Reaching Mindanao – Ministry Amongst the Muslims
Faith or Fear – what leads us…?
We have been conducting seminars in Northern Mindanao for the past 3 years, but have just recently began to move South. For anyone who knows Mindanao, it is predominately southern Mindanao that is dominated by various Muslim and militant groups, all active, most anti-government. It is a feared area, even by some locals. Indiscriminate bombings and shootings, aimed at basically anyone who does not belong to that particular group are regular and widespread, and has bred a culture of fear and caution. Driving into the Southern region for the first time is a little bit daunting, the further you go, the more army checkpoints and road blocks you pass through, from time to time you be subjected to full body searches as various check points search for people and vehicles carrying weapons or bombs. Many of the local are not involved in the conflict, but are all effected in one way or another.
One of the effects in the south is that many white missionaries are afraid to go there, or the locals are afraid to host white missionaries for fear of attracting the wrong type of attention. This leaves that local christians (of whom there are many) without much needed encouragement, training and resources to develop the work of the Lord in their region. It can “cut them off” in practical terms from parts of the body, it can rob them of life giving connections. I hear of events that are cancelled by white missionaries due to outbreaks of violence, wisdom based in fear seems to often cancel out faith. I also hear of the “safe places” that seem to get all of the attention when it comes to seminars and training, safe is an evidance of the “weakness” of faith, then there are those who won’t go, or won’t travel with armed escorts, a faith based in a worldly form of protection, where did the great, almighty, never failing, miracle working God go. The challenge is this – THE WHOLE WORLD NEEDS JESUS. The great commision in no way indicates caution or care, it never excludes any area, region or people group for any reason at all – ALL EXCUSES ARE IRRELEVANT…we are to go into ALL the WORLD and preach the good news.
The original vision that the Lord gave me, was to conduct seminars in the North aimed at pastors. He showed me that by the end of one year (seminars every two months) the pastors who would work with us in the future would be revealed by their faithfulness over that year. It might sound like a slow team building plan, but none the less it was clearly from the Lord. There were other details connected with what the Lord showed me and they have all worked out. We now are connected to Pastor Rolly and Sharon Madrigal in the north, Pastor Dela Cruz in the south and through these two men of God we have access anywhere in this region.
This is now the year for church planting in this region…but not just churches in the “safe areas”, churches in the “unsafe areas”. All the advice givers will say “but brother you have to be careful, you have to be wise, God does not call you to be reckless, you can’t preach when your dead”, and while all of those statements are right in themselves, they are also oh so wrong when they begin to limit the call of God, sowing doubt where faith should be. An man of God whom I respect greatly once told me in the early days of my christianity, that if you don’t take risks you will always fail. Faith in it’s very nature is always a risk, because you are believing in the unseen, the intangible.
The next few blogs will focus on Mindanao. Pray for us as we begin to lay hold of this region for Christ. There are many missionaries who are here doing great works for God, and in Jesus name we will make our small mark for the Lord as He leads, guides and directs us. Please pray for us as the Lord may lead.
“Many hands make light work – carry your share of the evangelistic load”
