Our travel to the Philippines was smooth with no delays. We arrived somewhat late but always in time to do what we have been sent here to do. After plane flights and a four hour drive we arrived in the city pronounced like (Gee Hole NAN) which is not the right spelling but is the right pronunciation. We spoke in a church that Sunday morning on the Authority of the Believer. Once we concluded our message we took authority over sickness and disease. Many testified of the miracles in the service without a hand being laid upon them. (He sent his word and delivered them). The Church rejoiced at the grace and goodness of God being poured out.
The Pastors in this city had been praying for a year for this crusade, this city has never had an open air preaching of the Gospel. 50 to 100 Pastors had been meeting for one year praying from 4am to 6am (called the dawn watch) for this Music and Healing Festival. Churches worked hard preparing 3,000 meals a night to feed those who attended, because some had traveled for hours to the meeting (we had sent the money ahead of time to buy food for those attending the festival). God gave us favor with the Mayor of the city who sent City flatbeds and dump trucks to the villages in the mountains to bring people who had no other means of transportation. All we had to do was pay for the vehicle fuel and a love gift for the Drivers. The Vice Mayor attended our crusade (a Catholic man) and exclaimed to the crowd he had never been in a meeting like this and declared the whole city and region needs more activities like this which promote Faith and Spiritual values.
On Sunday night the first night of the music and healing festival the head of the Pastors committee said there were about 6,000 who attended. We planned food for 3000, they registered 4000 and then quit registering people because they ran out of forms. Our Philippine Brothers and Sisters presented music and drama in a Spirit of excellence. There was great anticipation expectancy in the crowd for what was about to happen.
Leslie and I presented the simple gospel and as is our custom, we challenged people that if what we have said is true about Christ’ virgin birth, miracle life, death on the cross and resurrection , there will be miracles here tonight. We gave a call for those who wanted to receive Christ for the first time to stand to their feet. Of the crowd of 6000, about 3000 received Christ for the first time. Praise God!! . We then prayed for miracles without laying hands on any and when we asked the crowd who knew they were healed , hundreds of hands went into the air. We then had testimonies of those having miracles to come up on stage. It was a bit disorganized but when those who were blind testified of receiving their sight, the deaf their hearing, great shouts of joy came up from the crowd. Several testified of goiters and tumors which disappeared. A woman who could hardly urinate for two years was healed (I don’t want the details of how she knew). *S* The lame testified of being able to walk. We were late in the evening and the trucks had to return to the mountains so we could not accommodate all the testimonies that had occurred. I’m reminded of how Philip went down to Samaria and when he preached the gospel and man y that were healed there was great joy in that city. This is what happened here.
On Monday morning, Pastor Sammy happened to scheduled us at the university as one of the speakers in an Anti-drug campaign. I was the last speaker to speak and had the subject “The Spiritual Solution to Drug Use”. Which if you know me I quickly turned this into a Gospel Message with the theme that many people attempt to fill the vacuum through use of drugs or alcohol but the vacuum can only be filled by Christ. At the end of my presentation, I had the student body of 1,000 students stand and led them in a prayer to receive Christ.
Monday Evening we held the crusade the second night. Because it was during the work week, there were only about 3,000 people attending and yet we had over 500 receive Christ for the first time. Once again their were many testimonies of miracles and healings which took place. One Pastor remarked to Leslie “This is overwhelming” in describing the results of the two days of meetings. In addition to the new believers saved, the Christians were also encouraged. Of interest in the crowd were truck loads of people of the New Peoples Army (NPA) which came each night and most of whom received Christ and also received miracles.
A sad note was that one of the young people who attended the first night of the crusade was killed the next day in an auto accident. With the overwhelming response to the altar call the first night I believe this man most likely received Christ as his savior. (We know for sure he had the opportunity). It’s a reminder to each of us that we may be the bridge or some person’s last chance to enter the Kingdom of God. Lord help us to see the Harvest and make the most of the opportunity.
After the crusades in Negros Oriental, we flew to General Santos in Mindanao. We met with Tribal Chieftains (Saved and unsaved) and also Pioneer Pastors who reach out to the Tribal people in the mountains. The Pastors were very encouraged that we would work with them to reach the Tribal People that no one else has been reaching out to. We prayed for the sick during our meetings and then scouted the area in which to hold our three festivals. We selected a town square with a large park, an indoor basketball arena and an outdoor open space in which to set up for our Music and Healing festivals that will be held in April.