The Rev. Dick Bouma enthusiastically related to his women’s missionary union audiences how effectively God is working in the Philippines today. How good it was to hear how, in that island, God’s chosen ones hear His voice in His own time and place, and how obediently they follow. We hope, in this column, as occasion presents itself, to share with you evidences of God’s work in the Philippines as related by Pastor Bouma.
We desire sometime to tell you about the man who stood time and again outside Rev. Bouma’s gate. This time, however, we shall see how the Holy Spirit worked in the heart of Mila (Mrs. Selerio). It is a beautiful evidence of God’s covenantal way of working in families.
First her husband, Fred, came to know the Lord through the witness of Orlando Castello, a fellow artist at a Pepsi-Cola plant. Being an ardent Roman Catholic, Mila resisted Fred’s efforts to lead her to the Lord. Wise as a serpent, he got her to read the Roman Catholic Bible. How could she refuse to read the Bible of her own church? As she read it, “The Word of God did the work of God in Mila’s heart.” In her life it truly proved to be the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). “Four months after Fred became a Christian, he took Mila along to church, and both radiantly stated that they wished to profess Christ publicly as their Savior and Lord.” You sec, Fred lost no time to lead his wife to the Savior. Thus another covenant family came into being. God’s saving grace became their portion. Praise Him!
Mila was a shy lady who turned courageous for Christ’s sake. Last December she had to go to Mindano, an island some 300 miles distant. Among the eighty other passengers on the “inter-island motor launch” was a criminal who had been convicted of first degree murder. He was only nineteen years old, and an engineering student. He “was being escorted to the Davas Penal Colony by four armed policemen,” reports Pastor Bouma. “Normally, Mila is a very shy lady, smiling sweetly, but never asserting herself. But she was moved by the dejected state of this young convict. Taking from her purse a tract . . . she read to him about sin, the Savior. and His forgiving grace. The escorting officers also listened, being joined by other passengers. The young convict asked for the tract to be read over and over again. Then he tearfully told the story of his guilt: violent murder of an uncle whom he found in the act of raping his sister. But his heart was burdened by his own guilt. He asked Mila, ‘Does the Father in heaven and our Lord Jesus still have room in their heart of love for such a guilty one as me?’” Mila assured him that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation was richly proven again that day when this young convict found the Savior.
Thus the Holy Spirit llsed a shy woman to lead a young murderer to Jesus. Mila did not stop there. Mila’s husband, Fred, said that they purposed to continue their contacts with the saved lad by writing him regularly and sending him Christian literature.
Yes, God works today. In witnessing this in the Philippines, certain passages of Scripture, said Rev. Bouma, come to his mind again and again. Among them are these: “The Lord added to their number day by day who were being saved,” and “the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” This, according to our missionary, is happening in the Philippines today.
It did my heart good to hear Pastor Bouma say that “the Reformation Gospel presenting the whole counsel of God” is being brought to the Filipinos by our missionaries, first by the Apostles, then by the Blankers, since 1968 by the Boumas, and more recently by the De Vries’s. I do recall reading an article by Rev. Blankers once which indeed reflected warmly the soul of a truly Reformed missionary. Well do I recall my joy in observing such a healthy emphasis on missions. Truly Reformed women love to hear stressed the sovereignty of God in salvation which is by grace alone. No wonder that under the preaching of such “Reformation Gospel” the Word of God takes root and the Lord adds to His redeemed church day by day. The glory of God must be her primary concern even in the winning of souls: yes, also in the method of preaching to sinners. To dilute the Gospel for the sake of effect cannot please God. We Reformed people have a great responsibility of promoting a Reformed program of missions.
Thank you, Pastor Bouma, for assuring us that “the Reformation Gospel. preaching the whole counsel of God,” is being brought to the Filipinos! That will make for a strong indigenous church. Do pray for that work.
Here we have related one of the many reasons for gratitude this Thanksgiving season. We give thanks to God for the harvest of the fields. We give double thanks for the harvest of souls!
We desire sometime to tell you about the man who stood time and again outside Rev. Bouma’s gate. This time, however, we shall see how the Holy Spirit worked in the heart of Mila (Mrs. Selerio). It is a beautiful evidence of God’s covenantal way of working in families.
First her husband, Fred, came to know the Lord through the witness of Orlando Castello, a fellow artist at a Pepsi-Cola plant. Being an ardent Roman Catholic, Mila resisted Fred’s efforts to lead her to the Lord. Wise as a serpent, he got her to read the Roman Catholic Bible. How could she refuse to read the Bible of her own church? As she read it, “The Word of God did the work of God in Mila’s heart.” In her life it truly proved to be the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). “Four months after Fred became a Christian, he took Mila along to church, and both radiantly stated that they wished to profess Christ publicly as their Savior and Lord.” You sec, Fred lost no time to lead his wife to the Savior. Thus another covenant family came into being. God’s saving grace became their portion. Praise Him!
Mila was a shy lady who turned courageous for Christ’s sake. Last December she had to go to Mindano, an island some 300 miles distant. Among the eighty other passengers on the “inter-island motor launch” was a criminal who had been convicted of first degree murder. He was only nineteen years old, and an engineering student. He “was being escorted to the Davas Penal Colony by four armed policemen,” reports Pastor Bouma. “Normally, Mila is a very shy lady, smiling sweetly, but never asserting herself. But she was moved by the dejected state of this young convict. Taking from her purse a tract . . . she read to him about sin, the Savior. and His forgiving grace. The escorting officers also listened, being joined by other passengers. The young convict asked for the tract to be read over and over again. Then he tearfully told the story of his guilt: violent murder of an uncle whom he found in the act of raping his sister. But his heart was burdened by his own guilt. He asked Mila, ‘Does the Father in heaven and our Lord Jesus still have room in their heart of love for such a guilty one as me?’” Mila assured him that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation was richly proven again that day when this young convict found the Savior.
Thus the Holy Spirit llsed a shy woman to lead a young murderer to Jesus. Mila did not stop there. Mila’s husband, Fred, said that they purposed to continue their contacts with the saved lad by writing him regularly and sending him Christian literature.
Yes, God works today. In witnessing this in the Philippines, certain passages of Scripture, said Rev. Bouma, come to his mind again and again. Among them are these: “The Lord added to their number day by day who were being saved,” and “the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” This, according to our missionary, is happening in the Philippines today.
It did my heart good to hear Pastor Bouma say that “the Reformation Gospel presenting the whole counsel of God” is being brought to the Filipinos by our missionaries, first by the Apostles, then by the Blankers, since 1968 by the Boumas, and more recently by the De Vries’s. I do recall reading an article by Rev. Blankers once which indeed reflected warmly the soul of a truly Reformed missionary. Well do I recall my joy in observing such a healthy emphasis on missions. Truly Reformed women love to hear stressed the sovereignty of God in salvation which is by grace alone. No wonder that under the preaching of such “Reformation Gospel” the Word of God takes root and the Lord adds to His redeemed church day by day. The glory of God must be her primary concern even in the winning of souls: yes, also in the method of preaching to sinners. To dilute the Gospel for the sake of effect cannot please God. We Reformed people have a great responsibility of promoting a Reformed program of missions.
Thank you, Pastor Bouma, for assuring us that “the Reformation Gospel. preaching the whole counsel of God,” is being brought to the Filipinos! That will make for a strong indigenous church. Do pray for that work.
Here we have related one of the many reasons for gratitude this Thanksgiving season. We give thanks to God for the harvest of the fields. We give double thanks for the harvest of souls!