"OFFER TO GOD THANKSGIVING"
Psalm 50:14
As the year 2004 draws to a close, we have so very much to be thankful for.
We offer praise and thanksgiving to God for His hand of protection and blessing
upon this nation. By His grace, we had a presidential election free from
terrorist attacks such as occurred in Spain, Indonesia, and Russia. The election
was a clear victory for President Bush in which Sen. John Kerry was gracious to
concede the following day rather than the endless bitter squabbling of four
years ago. Regardless of how we voted, we need to support our newly elected
government with our prayers. Continue to pray for righteous men and women to be
appointed to positions of authority within the executive and judicial branches
as well as godly staff and advisors in every area of government.
Breakthrough Among the Youth
There is also much to praise God for over in the Philippines. The Holy Spirit
continues to move in power in response to prayer, particularly among the young
people. In the Philippines, the school year runs from June to March so they
recently had their semester break. The church in Tagum City decided to take
advantage of the time away from school to hold a three day youth conference at
the church.
The last day of the regional conference, Pastor Erning Balong was scheduled
to speak in the evening service. Pastor Balong, a member of our Board, pioneered
the church in Kapalong that was planted there following the gathering of
chieftains last May. At 2 PM, Pastor Erning sent a text message to our Director
Pastor Allan Asang saying he did not know if he would be able to attend. He was
at the hospital with his two year old son who was critically ill with a blood
disorder. Pastor Allan shared the need with the young people and they prayed.
The presence of God filled that hospital room and Erning’s son was instantly
healed.
Pastor Erning was there at the youth conference that evening to preach the
final message. As he ministered, the presence of God filled that sanctuary and
those young people returned home with a fresh anointing and touch of God on
their lives as they experienced the power of God moving through their prayers.
Revival Spreads
That was the beginning of a fresh move of God among the young people, not
just in the mountain villages, but in the city as well. There is such a hunger
for God among the young people at Tagum University that Pastor Esped Masangay
has resigned his position as pastor in Uraya, a suburb of Tagum City, to devote
himself to full time ministry among the college students and in the local jail
where God is opening the hearts of the prisoners to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Because of an upsurge of drug related gang activity in this past year, many of
the prisoners are also young people.
Please join us in thanksgiving to God for this unexpected open door. Hundreds
of college students are gathering together to hear the Word of God. The
university administration is so pleased with the change that has come over the
students that they have asked Pastor Esped to speak to the entire student body
at a mass rally once a month. God is moving in power in the lives of these young
people.
You can have a part in this unplanned, unexpected outreach. Because Pastor
Esped is giving himself full time to this effort, he no longer has any income to
support himself and his family. You can lift this burden by supporting his
outreach with $100 a month so he can focus on ministering to these young people
on the university campus and in jail who are opening their hearts to the Lord.
Reaching Out to the Villages
Praise God, the ministry to the mountain tribal people is also continuing.
The students currently enrolled in the Bible school in Tagum City will be
graduating in March but already they are dividing their time between the
classroom and ministry in the field as new churches are being built in areas
never reached by the Gospel before.
We are training the young people in the Word of God but also in such
practical skills as how to set up FAITH gardens (Food Always In The Home). This
way they can teach families in the villages where they will be ministering how
to grow their own food supply. With their own gardens, these families will no
longer have to search in the forest for food to eat each day.
Counter Attack
While we give thanks to God for all that He is doing and all that He will
continue to do in the future, we are also well aware that we have an enemy who
will do anything he can to stop the Gospel from going forward. We had hopes of
building fifteen more churches by the end of this year. But the enemy counter
attacked and now our chief carpenter, Bayani Asang, is hospitalized with a liver
ailment. At first the doctors said he was dying and there was nothing they could
do. Now they are talking about possible surgery. We know this is an attack aimed
at stopping the construction of more churches in newly reached areas. So we are
asking for your prayers for Bayani that God would totally heal him, strengthen
him, and enable him to continue building churches for the glory of God.
We would also appreciate any help you can give us with his medical bills.
Doctors, hospitals, and medicine have already cost more than $700 and the
proposed surgery will cost an additional $500 at least.
Victories on the Home Front
We give thanks to God for what He is doing in the Philippines and we also
thank Him for His goodness close to home. During this past year, we have spent
most of our time on the road, driving from church to church all across America
sharing what God is doing in the Philippines and ministering to the Body of
Christ in America. Traveling thousands of miles from southern California to New
Hampshire and from Florida to Washington state and most points in between can
take a heavy toll on vehicles. We are grateful that Howard is a skilled mechanic
but have been praying for more reliable "wheels". Praise God! In late
October, He blessed us with a "like new" 1997 Ford Windstar with only
56,000 miles on the odometer. It has been a great blessing.
Howard’s new book "Seven Things God Wants You to Know" was
published in August and we have already sold out the first printing and started
on the second. We have been blessed by the response we have received from those
who have read it. We praise God for the chance to so bless others with the
insights into what is on God’s heart toward His children.
The Greatest Victory of All
Yes, we have so much to be thankful for, but the greatest victory of all is
the gift that God gave to a lost and dying world when the Word became flesh and
was born in a stable some 2,000 years ago. Love became a man that we might be
reconciled to our Creator. As you prepare to celebrate this Christmas season, be
sure to set aside time to worship the One whose miraculous birth, sinless life,
substitutionary death, and glorious resurrection purchased eternal life for all
who will believe. As we remember His coming as a helpless baby, may we never
forget that He is coming again soon as a conquering King. As we look to the New
Year, may we prepare our hearts with the realization that this could be the year
when faith will become sight and, at last, we will see Him face to face.
A Love Gift for Jesus
As an expression of your thanksgiving to God for all He has done in your life
this year, may we suggest a possible gift for Jesus, the soon coming King. For
$250, you can build a church in a village that is hearing the Gospel for the
first time. For a gift of $50 a month for 6 months or $300, you can train a
pastor who can teach these new converts the Word of God and establish them in
their new found faith, turning them into disciples. For $100 a month, you can
provide for Pastor Esped Masangay and his family so he can devote his time to
ministry among the young people on the university campus as well as the city
jail. $100 a month will also send a literacy teacher to a remote area where
there are no schools to teach the people how to read and write.
Speaking of gifts, have you considered giving a copy of Howard’s book
"Seven Things God Wants You to Know" to someone you love? Howard has a
unique ability to take foundational truths from the Word of God and explain them
in terms that make them easy to understand. The books are available for a gift
of $10 per book for the ministry plus $2.50 to cover postage and handling. This
book answers questions like these. "Does God really love me even when I
mess up?" "Why do I have to be born again even if I am living a good
life?" "What is faith really all about?" "Why is it so
important that I forgive?" Jesus is coming back soon. The signs are
everywhere. This book will help you to be ready to meet Him when He comes. What
greater gift can you give to those you love?
A Final Word
As we look back in thanksgiving and praise and look forward with awe and
anticipation, we pray that you and your family will come to experience the
wonderful love, joy, and peace that can only come from the reality of Christ
dwelling in your hearts and gracing your homes with His presence, provision, and
protection this Christmas and throughout the coming year. God bless you
abundantly.
Howard & Barbara Gard and the Church Triumphant family
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