Filipino Graduation

Sunday and Monday I spent my time at graduation ceremonies in four different schools. Here in the Philippines the school system is very low quality and students do not learn a great deal. Bro. Claro and those he has trained believe in a Christian education and I must say, I was truly impressed with the children I met.
The graduation program, like everything the Filipinos do, takes forever. The ceremony at one school lasted longer that the school year itself. At each of the schools the children did an outstanding job with the program. Each child that had a speaking part stood, bowed, recited loudly and clearly. Believe me, it was a tough act to follow.
I am very grateful that these pastors invited me, and rearranged their schedules to fit into mine. I had a great time and was impressed by the dedication of very poor families to invest their money into a quality education for their children.
I was sure that one of the fathers, a father of 3, was going to bust the buttons on his shirt as his children received several rewards. The Filipino are very precious. One of them right now is standing on the back of a bench, telling the other children that LOLO White is busy.

Update from the Phillippines

Today I conducted my first wedding on Philippine soil. We drove to a place close to Muslim territory to perform these nuptials for this outstanding young couple, a second generation preacher and a daughter of a large family with many in the ministry.
My weddings in America last about as long minutes as the Philippine weddings last in hours I was not prepared for a two hour ceremony but that is just the Philippine way. The wedding started a 9:30 AM and that was quite a surprise for me. The wedding I will be performing next week begins at, are you ready for this my sleepy headed Americans, 5:30 AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We will be going up the day before and spending the night there, and as I understand it, I will have the privilege of living the Philippine lifestyle. The Bamboo floors, no water, etc. We will also be going through some Muslim Terrorist territory where I will be dressed as a , are you ready for this, a Muslim! Maybe they are kidding me but they tell me I must be covered. But they have also told me not to worry because the best of fighting forces in the Philippines will be there to protect me.
When I get back to the States I will certainly look at the American weddings in a different light. By the way, if you do not receive any e-mails after March 31, well, it has been nice knowing you.
Because He Lives,
Bro. Steve

March 22..Arriving in Davao

One of the things that amaze me about the Filipinos is the way that they treat their guest and show their love. For an example. The first time I was here I was greeted by about 30 preachers with a banner welcoming me to their country.
As I pulled on the property for the first time, about half way on the mile long entry way there was a big sign that read "WELCOME DR. STEVE GOENS. YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME. As we approached the tabernacle there was another sign, WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE HERE. Then another one on the Platform WELCOME DR. STEVE GOENS TO OUR FAMILY CAMP. I was so honored.
The second time about the same thing, except they forgot to pick up the banner for the airport and told me they would get it later. At the end of the week I asked them about the banner and they said, well we had already picked you up.
This time, no banner again, no preachers at the airport, they all were running late and left me all by myself in the land of kidnappers. No sign on the road to the camp and only a chalk board with a welcoming message.
Do you think that they are trying to tell me something?

Flight to the Philippines

I am a few days behind because of computer problems at the camp that I stay at. I know that some of of couple of readers have been waiting for my reports.
The flight here was as good as could be expected. I had a decent seat, and I thank God for that. I asked all my friends that I would be able to get a first class upgrade. Well, I could see first class from where I was seated which proves what I have always thought. My friends prayers fall just a little bit short.
On the flight I met a lady from India. She ask me what I did for a living and I told her I was a Baptist Preacher. I thought that would end the conversation, but instead it just inspired one. She asked me why people suffer so very much. Her thought was that if you were bad in a previous life that you would have a back life in the next life. As a Hindu she believed in reincarnation, a past life, a life now and a life to come. I told her that Christians believed in the same thing, that we too believe in a past life, a present life and the life to come.
We believe in the reincarnate life of the Lord Jesus Christ. That He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the World. That before we ever came into the world that God loved us so much that Christ was willing to die for us on the cross. Of course we believe in the life that we live now. And that in this life there are blessing and curses. Our trials only come to make us strong.
And of course the life in the future is a place where we call heaven. Not all are going there, only the ones that are saved. She leaned back on seat closed her eyes. I thought that she had had enough. As we were preparing to land in Hong Kong she leaned over and thanked me for being a kind and considerate seat mate and told me that I had given her a lot to think about, and asked me to pray for her. I told her I would.
Now, that is something you cannot get in first class!
Because He Lives,
GOENS MY WAY - Philippines 2009

Off to a Great Start

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
It is early Tuesday morning and in just a few short hours I will be getting on the plane and heading to the land of the Philippines.
Monday was a hectic day and my schedule was jammed packed. I received a phone call from a lady that I had told her, "If I can ever help you let me know". She asked me if I meant that and she said yes. Her Grandmother was dying and she did not know if she was Saved or not and the lady wanted to talk to someone.
Not today, I thought I am to busy to win anyone to Christ today. I have to prepare to go on a missions trip to win souls. It took me about 2 seconds to tell her I was on the way. She warned me about her rude, crude, irreverent family in a bad part of Indy. I assured her it would be OK I arrived and was greeted by a lovely young lady who escorted me to the place where Grandma was. I had prayer with her, told her of our great saviour and how he loved her. As I led her in the sinners prayer, she took her thumb and tapped my hand as I asked her to pray the "sinners prayer" I questioned her again and again she tapped my hand when I asked her if she had confessed her sins.
About three hours later this babe in Christ crossed over into the wonder of eternity safely on the wings of the Grace of God. Too late to enjoy the abundant Christian life but just before the death angel came. She never knew about answered prayer, or the victory of living by faith, or the joy of the daily walk with Jesus, but thank God, she did make it home in time for supper!

Because He Lives,
Bro. Steve

ON THE WAY TO THE PHILIPPINES

Dear Friends,
I want to thank you for all the response we have to our daily devotionals. It is a blessing to me that there are a few who really enjoy the insights that God gives me into the Scriptures. Not all agree with the insights but none the less, that has never stopped me from writing.
As some of you have noticed you have not received them the last couple of weeks and the reason is simple, there are only 24 hours in a day and I must get at least 4 hours of sleep a day or I just can't function.
I have been wrapping up the classes that I teach here in the States and then there is working ahead on all of the work at the church, and then there are the messages to be preached in the Philippines. This is my third trip there in the last 2 years.
I will be going to the southern part of the Philippines to a place called Davao City. After performing two weddings, and preaching(40 times last year) on prophecy, some graduation ceremonies, I will then head to Manila where I will preach from April 1 thru April 12. Then back home again to Indiana.
Please pray for me in the following ways if you would please.
Safety, on the island I will be, there are a lot of Communist and Muslims.
Success. We would love to see at least 100 people saved. Much of the time we will be teaching preachers. But there will be those times in churches and we pray for a great harvest of souls.
Pray for my health. I am not as young as I was last week. Pray for my diabetes, high blood pressure, teeth that needed work on that I just never got around to fixin', my back, ankle swelling, eyes, GOOD NIGHT, WHY AM I EVEN GOING, I AM A SICK TIRED OLD MAN!!!! As you pray for my health, Sharon has decided, in the case of my death, that she will only bring me home if they will strap me in a seat to use my ticket to return home. If there is an additional cost, she will just leave me in the Philippines and send God a change of address form just in case He forgets where I am at his second coming. HA!
Thank you to all that has contributed to my trip. I trust that I will be all that I can be as I represent you in the Philippines. The Filipinos are great people and I love to work with them. I will be posting my daily adventures on here and would enjoy if you would stop by and rejoice with me in the victories that I believe God is going to give.
Because He Lives,
Pastor Steve Goens

Devotionals March 2-4th

MONDAY MARCH 2, 2009 -
GENESIS 6:1-8
Whenever I read the Word of God I get excited. The next great event on the Christian calendar is what is commonly referred to as the "Rapture" of the church. Now, you cannot find the word "rapture" in the Bible but that is the word that we use to explain this event. One day, the Bible states, God is going to open the graves and call all of his saints home to heaven. The Bible says "in a moment, the twinkling of the eye" we are going to be gone. The Bible gives us many signs of his coming. And one of the signs is "as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the son of man." There is no doubt that we live in a very sinful, wicked world. I am just 59 years old and have been in the ministry for 35 of those years. If someone had told me then the things I am seeing today I would have told them, "maybe other places, but not in America." I would have been wrong. The focus of today devotional is found in verse 5. All that Noah's generation thought about was sin, how to commit it, how to hide it, and how to get by with it. Now, that sounds a great deal like today.
The Bible tells us that "whatsoever a man thinketh, so is he." Take a moment, and ask yourself this simple question. Do I think as they did in the days of Noah, or are my thoughts on the things of God?

TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2009 -
EXODUS 25:1-9
As a regular reader, you know that I think about death and the legacy that I am going to leave behind. It is, in reality, a daily thought and prayer of mine. When the people that I counsel stand beside my casket, what will they think of me after spending many hours with me as I tried to help them? My congregation, what will they say about me after sitting under my ministry for over thirty years? When I have preached revival meetings and special services, did I effect anybodies life? The students, at Fellowship Baptist College, in Indiana, and Central Baptist Bible College, Philippines, that have sat under my teaching, did I make an impact in their lives? Did my writing ministry change anybody? All of these things are very important to me. However, there is one other thing that is more important that all of the aforementioned, what impact did I have on my family? That is the most important thing to me.
Now, I said all of this to ask a question. What kind of impact did Abraham have on his family? Abraham was a great man of God, much grater that I will ever hope to be. He was a great man of faith. He was courageous! But, and it is a big but, the problems in the world today between the Jews and the Muslims, can be put at the feet of Abraham. For that one moment, Abraham was impatient, he did not want to wait on God, he lacked the faith that he needed and went in with another woman, bore a child with her, and the Muslim world was born.
Abraham is now dead. Both Isaac, his son by Sarah, and Ishmael, his son by Hagar are at Abraham's funeral. One, a promise of God of prosperity, the other a son of destruction (Gen 16:11-12). What a shame such a beautiful life is marred for all eternity because of a lack of faith, just for a moment, but with an eternal impact. What about your life, what impact will you have for eternity?

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2009 -
DUETERONOMY 2:26 - 30
As Moses and the Israelites were passing through there were many obstacles that stood in their way. As today, the same then, when they passed through a strange land, a land inhabited by others, they had to receive permission to continue on the journey. The Edomites and Moabites did not hinder the Israelites from passing through their country, though they were far from friendly and dealt with them in an unbrotherly way. However, when the arrived at Heshbon, the chief city of the Amorite king, Sihon, Moses overtures of peace were rejected.
The Bible says that God had hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate. Many times in the Word of God, you will find the phrase or similar phrase that God hardened their hears. Now the question arises, if God hardened their heart how then did a fair, and righteous God judge them if they could not help their heart being hardened?
First of all, God is God, and He can do as He wills. This is the sovereign act of God, and we must not question.
Secondly, when we question the act of God and think he is unfair, then we put ourselves into a position of being a judge and claiming that we are more knowledgeable, understanding, righteous and merciful that God. What a ridiculous and arrogant thought is that.
Thirdly, God simply puts man in a situation that reveals the hidden content of the heart, so that we can see the intent of heart as it is seen through the eyes of God. When you squeeze an orange, only what is inside comes out - orange juice. You squeeze an apple and what do you get? The only thing that you can get is apple juice. You squeeze a Triple Whopper from Burger King, and what do you get? Fat! When you find yourself in a tight situation, your decision will reveal what is hidden in your heart.