A divine encounter

Have you ever met someone and afterward realized it wasn’t by chance, but God set it all up? That happened to me about 35,000 feet in the air on our way to Tokyo, en route to the Philippines.

I had gotten up to walk around and stretch out and walked to the back of the plan. There I met a man named Jim. We asked the normal questions: Where are you from? Where are you going? Jim lives in South Carolina with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have moved 42 times over those years as he served in the U.S. military. Now retired, he and his wife were traveling to China to visit their daughter and her family.

I told him about our mission trip to the Philippines. He was excited about that as he too is a Christians. As he talked, I knew God was speaking through him to encourage me, confirm and reaffirm why we were on this trip.

Jim asked if we build churches in the Philippines. I said not yet, but that was one of our prayers and goals. We want to help the indigenous pastors and missionaries plant churches and support their work.

He then gave me this wonderful analogy. Jim asked, does a baby have anything to do with being born? Martha, Mom and I all said, no. He said right, a seed is planted and a baby is conceived. Then the baby is born and the parents nurture the child. Then he looked me in the eyes and said, “That’s all you have to do.”

Jim said just preach the simple, but powerful message of Jesus Christ crucified and raised again from the dead for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Tell the people about Jesus (plant the seed) and let the Holy Ghost do the rest. He said plant churches in the Philippines and we will have an untold harvest waiting for us in Heaven.

Praise God! I was such a simple, but powerful word from a man with great wisdom.

He also said that when the Lord opens the door, run through it as fast as we can. Then he warned, when God closes a door then it is time to leave.

I’ll always remember that talk with Jim, and what made it even more powerful was as I returned to my seat I opened the Bible to continue reading. I was in the Book of Acts and the next scripture I read was Acts 10:34-48. The Apostle Peter was speaking to the Gentiles the simple, but powerful message of Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead for the remission of sins. Exactly what Jim was telling us.

God spoke to me through this kind gentleman and then reaffirmed it through His Word. Now we know without a doubt that we will plant churches in the Philippines and not only continue the work we have been doing with our brothers and sisters here for the past year, but do even more. We are supposed to be here.

Thank you God for speaking to your humble servant 35,000 miles above the earth you created. I’m looking forward to that day when I will take that glorious trip even higher than that to meet my Lord and Savior face-to-face. That’s a promise God gives to everyone who believes and confesses that Jesus is their Lord and Savior.

Jesus died for all of us. Then God raised Him from the grave on the third day. Accept what Jesus did on the cross. Believe God raised Him from the grave. Confess your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive and save you. Now, confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. It’s that simple, and that powerful.

Our trip to Philippines

Our first day in the Philippines was amazing. The people here are so friendly and hospitable. We are accustomed to “Southern Hospitality” in Alabama, but Filipinos take it several steps higher.

Our trip here to Sindangan was very long. All total, about 20 hours of flying, nearly 16 hours of layovers, and a two-hour drive down the beautiful eastern coast of the Philippines island of Mindanao, which is the second largest island in the Philippines, populated by more than 23 million people.

The trip was long, but a very good one. Delta did an outstanding job, as did Philippines Airlines. We met some great people on the plane, including another group of Americans going to a different island on the Philippines to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is their sixth trip.

While waiting in Manila for our connecting flight to Dipolog City, we met some wonderful people. We met Pastor Aries and Bro. Armand, who serve the Lord in the Manila area. Our good friend Micah Lewter of HomegrownHarvesters knows these two brothers and was hoping we would meet them. We did, at 1 a.m. Instead of sleeping, these two brothers traveled about an hour to meet us. We talked and had a good time of prayer. They are great men doing great work for the Lord in a very challenging area. We were also able to give Pastor Aries a study Bible that Micah had mailed us to bring to the Philippines. He was very appreciative. Thanks Micah! And thanks Micah for introducing us to all of these wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord here in the Philippines.

We then met a woman named Rose. She is a native of the Philippines, but lives in Indiana, near Illinois and Chicago. She was very energetic and kept us going during the early morning hours. She told us a lot about the Philippines and she was amazed at what we were coming here to do. We told her we love our Lord and were just doing His work by the example He gave us. Rose fell in love with Mama like everyone does. She called her “Mamasee.”

Then we met two indigenous missionaries to the Philippines. Anna is a medical missionary and Joy is a missionary who teaches the Word of God to those who do not know Jesus. They were fascinating to talk with and listen to their stories and heart’s desires. We enjoyed several different times of prayer with them.

Then, when we landed in Dipolog City we were greeted by more than 30 men, women and children from the Shiloh Bible Baptist Church family. Wow! That blew us away; more on that in my next blog.

So it was a long trip with hardly any sleep along the way, but it was a good journey and one we are very thankful to have made. Everyone we met was amazed at Mama’s ability to travel that far. They just don’t know my Mama. And for anyone back home wondering, she’s doing great.

Philippines bound

A year ago I'd never been off the North American continent. Then, three months ago I was in the South American country of Ecuador, and now I'm on my way to the Asian country of the Philippines.

I never gave too much thought about traveling outside of the U.S. and Canada, but then God put it on my heart to go to different countries. I told Him, wherever He leads I'll go.

In October it was to Shell, Ecuador to work with orphans at Casa de Fe and do street ministry in Puyo. Now, I'm on my way to the Philippines with my wife and mom. How awesome is that? Traveling to the other side of the world with my wife and mom to preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I thank God for this awesome opportunity.

Jesus Christ gave His disciples the Great Commission before ascending into Heaven. His Great Commission is for all of us, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." - Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)

Jesus further drives home His point in Acts as the very last statement He tells His disciples before ascending to Heaven is, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8 (NLT)

While the majority of our ministry is done locally in Dothan, Ala., God has opened doors for Love In Action to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in other U.S. cities and throughout the world. Whether it is Atlanta, Ga., Baton Rouge, La., New York City, Memphis, TN, Los Angeles, Shell, Ecuador, or Sindangan, Philippines, Love In Action is obeying our Lord and Savior by telling the world about Him.

Please keep us in your prayers. We are praying for hundreds of souls to be saved, people healed and delivered, and  pastors and missionaries encouraged.

Our volunteers are the best!

People often hear me say that our volunteers at Love In Action are the best, and I mean it. They give of themselves to serve the homeless and needy, and they do it with so much love.

Our volunteers are a major reason why Martha and I can travel to other cities and other countries to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. You might remember that back in October, not only did Martha and I travel to Ecuador, but our two Celebrate Recovery Inside directors went too. And, the ministry in Dothan didn't miss a beat, because of our awesome volunteers. They make it happen.


Love In Action's ministry in Dothan will continue as usual while Martha, Mama Tuck and I are in the Philippines. We have tremendous ministry leaders and volunteers who do a great job each week. We held a volunteers meeting Monday night and the room was filled with our awesome volunteers. We talked about what God accomplished through each one of them and Love In Action in 2011. Check it out and praise God with us for the great things He has done:

- Many people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!
- We were a ministry without a home entering 2011, but we purchased a building, renovated it and moved into the new Love In Action Ministry Center. Now we have a permanent home. Praise God!
- We moved Celebrate Recovery Inside and Bible study back home to our ministry center after months of moving around from place to place
- Moved the LIA Health Clinic for the Homeless to the LIA Ministry Center.
- Began four new ministries: Lighthouse Cafe coffee house, Laundry Ministry, Shower Ministry, and Adopt-A-Block.
- Strengthen the following ministries: clothing, food pantry, food distribution, and hygiene supplies distribution.

Each of you who volunteer, pray and financially support Love In Action were a huge part of everything that was accomplished in 2011. We couldn't have done all of this without you. Thank you so much for your support and desire to show the "least of these" the love of Jesus Christ.

Please continue supporting us and encourage others to join you in supporting Love In Action in 2012. We've already had a great start to the New Year, and it's only going to get better. We are praying that more souls will be saved this year than ever before. We are also praying for God to continue to strengthen each ministry that we do and further expand Love In Action according to His perfect will and purpose throughout this year.

We thank each of you once again. We are like Paul, Silas and Timothy were in their letter to the church of Thessalonica, "We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (NLT)

'Wake up and look around'

“Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” - John 4:35 (KJV)

I like the way the New Living Translation writes these words of Jesus, " But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest."

Jesus was telling His disciples, and He is telling us today, "Wake up, open your eyes; there are hurting and lost people all around you. Go tell them I love them and bring them into My kingdom."

Take a quick survey of what you are doing with your time. How much do you pray? Do you read God's Word? If so, how often? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? How much time do you spend watching TV? Do you tell anyone about Jesus? Do you show His love to others through your actions? Do you do more for yourself or for others? This Christmas season, are you focused more on gifts or on The Gift, who is the One we celebrate?

How did your survey turn out? This blog post isn't meant to condemn anyone, it's to help all of us do what Jesus tells us in John 4:35, "Wake up and look around." It's so important to heed His words. People are dying every day. Eternity is at stake. When we die we will either go to Heaven or Hell, both are real places. Heaven is eternity with God our Father. Hell is total separation from God our Father forever. We can make a difference in a person's eternity by showing the love of Jesus to them, and by sharing with them what Jesus has done in our lives.

Action speaks louder than words, though. I like the way St. Francis of Assisi said it, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

Let's be sure we are doing that. Let's don't waste time by getting caught up in worldly activities. Now, events and hobbies aren't bad in and of themselves. The problem is when they dominate our thoughts and time.

I encourage you to read John 4 today. Read how Jesus broke down walls by talking with a Samaritan. See how he reached out to the woman and changed her eternal destination. See how He carried out His own "Great Commission" (Matthew 28:19-20) by going and reaching the people and then teaching them. Read how He teaches His disciples and explains things to them in John 4:34-38.

Jesus tells them that He receives His spiritual nourishment from doing the will of the Father; by finishing the work that the Father has given Him. We must do the same. Let's follow His example. God has given each of us a job to do. We receive joy and gain strength through doing it. So, let's do it, and spend our time "doing the will of God."