On Ministering with and Standing with Worthy Friends

I arrived home yesterday from two weeks of ministry in the Philippines.  Sandy and I were able to minister in two FBFI related meetings, one in Cebu hosted by Pastor Rogelio Baladjay at Bible Baptist Fellowship Church in Mandaue. The church is an energetic and active congregation, and they treated us with such a servant’s spirit. The entire church participated in the conference, including many wonderful musical presentations by various groups from the church. Pastor Baladjay runs a seminary (Bible Institute) that was established by his father and Dr. Peter Moriyama.  There were more than 60 pastors in attendance along with many of their wives.  Almost all were graduates and church plants out of pastor Baladjay’s church and seminary.

It was a great privilege to minister there alongside Dr. Bob Jones III and Karen Jones, David Innis, and Missionary Forrest McPhail along with his wife Jennifer. Both in their mid-80’s, Dr. Jones and Dr. Ennis are still very sharp and delivered excellent messages.

In the second week, Sandy and I joined the Jones’ and the McPhail’s in ministering at the Bob Jones Memorial College’s PRISM conference in Manila.  That conference included pastors from all over the Philippines and Southeast Asia as well as students, faculty, and staff from the college. The school there is thriving under the leadership of Dr. Phil Kamibayashiyama and an excellent staff and faculty. The school has a wonderful facility and the music ministry of the students was excellent. We were especially blessed by Atan and Rachel Taclob and their four precious children. They are missionaries our church supports and we were with them for an entire Sunday of ministry.

God is doing great things in the Philippines.  Filipinos are coming to Christ in large numbers. They are planting and building churches around the globe, and often in limited access countries where western missionaries are not able to serve.  We are at the beginning of the next great wave of missionary activity around the world and it is being led by missionaries from countries like the Philippines and Mexico.  It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous to behold.

I spoke from 2 Timothy repeatedly over the two weeks, and as I did, one passage that I did NOT preach in 2 Timothy continued to haunt me.

At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. 2 Timothy 4:16-17

When Paul came to the end of his life and had to stand before the Roman authorities, after having given his life in service to thousands of believers, no one stood with him. There were those who could have stood with him but did not. At the beginning of his letter, Paul asked Timothy not to be ashamed of him (2 Timothy 1:8).

Over the past few months, I have watch one of the men that I admire greatly be vilified by those who should know better about him. I have gotten to know Dr. Bob Jones III in a closer way over two weeks of travelling and preaching together. He is a man who is finishing his course of life with great honor and with dignity.  He is one of the most gracious and kind people I know.  He took the time to talk to everyone that wished to speak to him, signed hundreds of Bibles, posed for hundreds of pictures, and continually spoke words of encouragement to precious unsung servants of our Lord.

As we sat at the dinner table, I addressed him as “Dr. Bob” and he leaned close and said, “Just call me Bob.”  I can’t do it. He is my friend, but I am not his equal.

He is aware of some of the completely unsubstantiated rumors floated about him and he was both saddened and befuddled.

“I am 85 years old, and the Lord has met all my needs.  What do I want with money?” he said.

When someone’s character is under attack, it is often easy to stand by and not get involved. I cannot do that. It would not be right or honorable. In the end, our Lord knows all and He will be our Judge. In my experience, Dr. Bob Jones’ speech and actions in public and private have been completely above reproach and worthy of honor. I am privileged to call him a friend and to stand with him when he is being maligned and slandered.

I pray that I can finish in as worthy a manner.

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Liste to the audio version here: On Ministering with and Standing with Worthy Friends