It’s not new to all Filipinos as well as to all people in the world who kept themselves updated from the news about the occurrences that happened in Jolo, Sulu and other islands found in the Sulu Archipelago, located primarily in the Southwest Philippines between Mindanao and Borneo” where ninety percent (90%) of the people are Muslims and only ten percent (10%) are Christians (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolo, Sulu, accessed January 28, 2013). Killings, bombings and kidnappings frequently happen in this area. Bandits (e.g. Abu Sayyaf) with their victims spend a month or even months in their hiding place. Torture and the art of paying a ransom go hand in hand. And, the story goes on and on. No wonder why many don’t want to be in that area. These unpleasant incidents have been happening for years already.
Until now, only a few missionaries commit to spend time with our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. Because of the war conflict in some major islands like Jolo, Christians are dispersed and transferred to a safer place like Zamboanga City. The pastors (though some died few years ago) I have known during my childhood years (for I have lived for 14 years in Tawi-Tawi) are still the current pastors today. One of them is my father who worked there for 25 years. Yet, they are growing older and there are still more islands in the Sulu Archipelago, waiting to be reached out.
A line from the song titled “We Speak to Nations” says, “Who will go for us? Who will shout to the corners of the earth that Christ is King?” (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/israel_houghton/we_speak_to_nations.html, January 28, 2013) Who will go for us? There are a lot of challenges in the mission field but when the Lord calls and puts you there, He will make it sure that you can do the mission, that is, to reach our Muslim brethren. One of the basic things to do in the field is to establish trust and create a meaningful relationship with them. You won’t go there in order to change them. You just spend time, laugh with them and live as a blessing. By doing these simple acts, you are conveying God's love to them. Majority of the people living in that area are actually good and pious people. Thus, it’s time to change our mindset and try not to generalize the way we see our Muslim brethren. As a matter of fact, they are the friendliest people I have been with. As I call them my ba’gay (friends), you can be a ba’gay to them if you wish to.
1. The dispersed Christians who were once Muslims can be effective in reaching out to them. What do you think are the contributing factors that deprived them from doing so?
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolo, Sulu, accessed January 28, 2013.
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/israel_houghton/we_speak_to_nations.html, January 28, 2013.
http://theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html, accessed January 29, 2013.
De Jesus, Benjamin & Deborah Cowles, A Man Sent from God. Manila: The Alliance Publishers, Inc., 1986.
Good job! Thanks for sharing this blog. These people who lived and shared their lives in these Moslem communities out of love and compassion for the lost are truly admirable and worth emulating. I would like to answer your 3rd question: I think the Kairos course that we took have somehow revealed to us what are the "effective" strategies in reaching the least reached people groups, this time the Muslims as featured in your blog. I think proper assessment of the present "opportunities" and "threats" will help us to adopt a more "effective" and "practical" strategy in reaching these people. But after all, as the course indicates, "prayer" is still the most effective strategy. God bless!
TumugonBurahinTo God be the glory!
TumugonBurahinMany Christian brethren who were once Muslims deprived their opportunity to reach out their Muslim brothers probably because of fear or maybe they will be persecuted.This could be normal if we are in their shoes especially that Muslims were so harsh in terms of persecuting even their own bloodline.That's why, it's really helpful to send pastors or local missionaries especially in this area. Though this is a little bit harder,but of course,if God's work will be done in God's way, it will never lack God's supplies.Whoever these people will be,we know one thing. God is our only passion. The world is the field and the field is the world. Henceforth, if God will really call someone to be in this place, he will surely be there where he can be most used in winning our Muslim brothers for Christ. God bless you!
I've never been in Jolo or in Tawi-Tawi but I've always been a Mindanaoan from Cotabato City and I know how it feels to live with them; which brings to mind a certain event in MSU-IIT. I was (but still am) a member of a campus ministry, and I, as student leader of that organization, did weekly gospel sharing. In one instance, I noticed, judging by the way he dressed, a freshman student, alone sitting on one of the benches of the College of Arts and Social Sciences. I approached him and was about to do the introduction but somewhere along the "pasakalye" his distinct accent caught my attention. He was a Maranao. I asked him if he had time to listen to what I was about to share but contrary to what I was asking,my heart was saying the opposite, as I was fearful of the outcome of that conversation. But as what the saying goes: "Anticipating is worse than experiencing." Again, the opposite happened, he accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and the rest is history... We all have preconceived thoughts of some people; but we will never know the possibilities if we will not venture from our own impossibilities. Romans 1:16 says: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is POWER OF GOD (not our power)." Good day and God bless
TumugonBurahinThank you Peter for sharing your burden to reach the people of Sulu some day,if not too distant in the future. It's always stimulating, challenging and adventurous whenever I read a story like this. I pray that you will one day be a ray of hope and beacon to this people in Sulu by being with them. It doesn't have to be sharing the Gospel (like you said) but constant witnessing and sharing of Christlike life through your life will surely impact the people group for our labor in Christ is not in vain bro. Keep oiling your lamp and let your flame burn strong until the Spirit ignites and confirm your heart to lead you to your dreams!!! :-)
TumugonBurahinI hope and pray that there will be mission exposures, more mission exposures. But I still believe in the fact that when God calls, He will surely equip. Sulu is just a one ride away from Zamboanga but I haven't been there yet. Regarding question number two, in my opinion, I think it would be better if pastors and missionaries will assigned in a long-term basis. With regards to Bible school students, tane me ara nga mga exposures.. :] hehe..
TumugonBurahinThank you for sharing this important facts to us.Indeed, God is in the business of bringing his redemptive plan of salvation to all the people. In line with this, I would like to answer your third question. I have lived in a place wherein the dominant people are tribal people; people who has an animistic view of God. In reaching out this people is a quite uneasy for missionaries and pastors because they are really zealous to what they have believed in. Many pastors have came to share the gospel but somehow they were not very successful to reach them out. They have even used a lot of strategies to reach out and maintain the ministries that had been established by those people who came first in our place. But one thing that i have learned which i think very powerful in reaching out the people in our place was the good example they exemplified to us. In line with your question number three, since the dominant people in that place is Muslims then i think setting a good example and by simply living out the words of God would be a powerful tool in reaching/establishing and enlarging the ministries in your place. In 2 Cor 3:3 the Apostle Paul said "You are an epistle of Christ." We need to always remember that we are the living epistles of Christ and as a living epistle of Christ we should see to it that when someone would read us they will see Jesus in our lives.
TumugonBurahin---Blessings angkol Tino--
Our God is the God of Impossibilities and Wonders, However I wonder why we can't do the impossibilities? Just like the prayer of Rev. de Jesus Sr. “Lord, send me anywhere but not in Jolo, Sulu.” - A prayer that demonstrate unpassionate and uncompassionate but as he, Impossibilities and Wonders happened...
TumugonBurahin"He will make it sure that you can do the mission"- this phrase is a great reminder for us, Christians and God's workers in the field. Truly God is the one who calls, sends, and enables us to do His mission of redeeming His people, including the Ba'gays. Contrary to this life-changing truth, many Christians, Missionaries and Pastors up to now, cannot help but be greatly hindered due to the fear of accomplishing the seemingly impossible mission in this area and people group. In response to the questions you have raised for us to ponder, i think that there are really a lot of factors that hinders the Christians to be effective in reaching them. Although I haven't really been there but i knew of a family, belonging to a similar tribe, who moved from their hometown after receiving Christ in their lives as a family. Aside from security, the parents wanted to grow freely in a Christian community without the fear of being directly persecuted because of their faith. Another thing is that i knew of a ministry to similar tribes as well wherein they effectively reach out to people group through education and medical assistance. I think those are just a few of the effective ways to reach these people group; of which requires more workers and financial support, per se.
TumugonBurahinI particularly like this phrase in your blog "but when the Lord calls and puts you there, He will make it sure that you can do the mission, that is, to reach our Muslim brethren" which apparently justifies the quote "God does not call the qualified but he qualifies whom he calls". You can be a pastor,a bishop,a missionary or just a laymen and reject the Lord's appointment to preach the gospel in these areas. But I believe that he does not see the fear inside you, instead he will bless you abundantly that you will be in dire thirst to preach his word even in far off remote areas. From Jolo sulu to the ends of the earth, God stands to be the omniscient,omnipotent and omnipresent God. God bless! _Hannah Dubal_
TumugonBurahinGod enables those whom He has sent.
TumugonBurahinYes, only God Himself enables missionaries and pastors to respond for His calling of sacrifice-- and that sacrifice was their "life". I bet, many of us, Christians, could think of no greater hell than having given up their life to others who were thought or seen to be unlovable and unlikable (and this situation in Jolo, Sulu may be one great example); we may argue with God about it, but after realizing that we were already in hell without Him, we can finally surrender our hearts to Him.
Not many churches today are raising up a generation of men and women who are prepared to risk it all for the sake of the gospel. Why? Because we have omitted the teaching about suffering saints. This could be the reason that Christian missionaries are becoming a dying breed and most of them who do go, do not return for a second term. However, I don't mean stop preaching sufferings to church. What I want to emphasize is that we must always clothe ourselves with "God is an intimate God!" He deals with us as individuals. He may require something from you that He does not require from others. We are not all chosen to walk the same road but still, let us be reminded that the message of the cross can be summed up in two words: "Follow Me."
Obedience is always tested to the hilt. Every step of the way to the mission field is being tested. It never became easy, but as Christians begin to be obedient to the call, then perfect time of learning will come into the picture that we must never pay any attention to fears and doubts. Like how God enabled Paul, let us be ready for anything the Lord asked us to attempt and ready to go anywhere He sent us. Grace has always been sufficient that will enable and empower our feet to keep following. As David Livingston said it beautifully: If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly king be considered a sacrifice?
*I honor God by how He enabled missionaries and pastors for a heart after Him and live in His commission as an honor; I will always be encouraged of their willingness to take an unpopular stand for the truth!
"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
wow what an amazing blog story! it just don't encourage hearts wth calling but hearts of cowardness en discouragement. keep it up and God bles you more!
TumugonBurahinPraise the Lord for His overflowing compassion channeling through His children. :)
TumugonBurahinI am blessed by this article, Pastor. Although it is saddening to know that a great number of Christians refuse to obey the Lord's command to go to all the nations (including these islands), because of the fears we have managed to entertain, still we are reminded that as His children, we must exercise our love for Him by obeying Him. And only when we are willing to follow Him, would He be able to grant us perfect compassion that drives out fear.
I, myself, am guilty of letting myself get swallowed sometimes by the fear of the flesh. But I thank the Lord for He is faithful in reminding me.
Thank you for this post, Pastor Aldwin, for allowing God to speak to us and remind us. God bless You! :)
I am truly grateful to the Lord for this blog. To be honest, I am one of those Christians who say, "send me anywhere but not in Sulu," due to all of the abovementioned reasons.
TumugonBurahinWhen I read about you treating them as "friends, as ba'gay,"
the Lord tenderly reminded me that JESUS came to this world, so entirely different from heaven,
He gave up everything because HE treated us as "ba'gay."
HIS love compels us to love them. His heart that no one should perish, stirs our hearts to move beyond fear and reach out to them in love.
My heart is deeply moved when i learned of aging pastors toiling for the gospel in this area. "Indeed, who will go for them?"
May this blog inspire each of us to go where HE leads, especially to this area where islands grope for the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
This is an encouragement today to be available to God once again.. Very precised, my dear friend. I want to be their ba'gay too. :) May God bless your heart and work. Peace...
TumugonBurahinWitnessing by work or life is one best effective way of ministering to Muslims, as Rev. de Jesus and other early workers who ministered there. And this implies much time spent with them. Dreams and visions have always been instrumental for Muslim conversion. Prayer for much of this to happen and to key leaders of Muslim groups is a very effective tool for their salvation and discipleship.
TumugonBurahinIn order to reach the Muslim community, the best thing to do is to send muslim pastors and missionarries. It would be easier for them to reached their own people for they know the language and their fellow muslim would respect them. The main problem today is that many trained leaders do not want to reached their own tribe. we are depending again on foriegn missionaries.
TumugonBurahinWe can really see God's leading. Putting us in a perfect spot, that at first we do not think we would be fit (or not like). It can be scary to think about the things that may happen to us when we are serving Him, but knowing that it is for God and God himself appointed us to that duty, we can be assured everything (both bad and good circumstances) has been set in place, not for our fall, but for our hope and future! (Jeremiah 29: 11)
TumugonBurahinI'm quite positive, that in the long run, more and more missionaries will go to this place, and all the places that normal people see as "frightening." Yes, a lot of missionaries might say "no" to Jolo, but in the end. It is not about us it is about Him. His response is "the" important response, not ours. Just like Rev. Florentino, he might have said NO, but in the end, God made him say YES.
God enables us, not the other way around
It is by faith, not circumstances
I don't like Muslim people because they are violent. You know they love to kill people correct me if I'm wrong that's my own perspective. Today I realize that God love them and they need Christ also. For me in order to have peace in that place we need to share the God's love to them. First, by modeling let us show to them what Christians really mean. Secondly, love them us a image bearer of God. Thirdly, tell the word of His love, lastly, willingness to do the job if God will send you there.
TumugonBurahinpart of the reason why most Filipino Christians have fears and prejudices towards people on this part of the Philippine archipelago is the lack of reliable information and the spread of sensationalist news. The responsibility of the informed Filipino Christian now is to inform the uninformed/misinformed - which is what this blog somehow attempts to do. Kudos for this project!
TumugonBurahinI am touched by this story..May God bless you and use you more mightily to fulfill His great commission Alwin..!!May God fulfill your journal as you have passion to do for His sake!!
TumugonBurahinGrowing up in a city where Christians and Muslims co-exists tells you that they’re not really who the world thinks they are. The media plays a great role in informing the rest of the country & the world about our Muslim brothers and Sulu, for this matter. If the world is well-informed about them and about the places where they dominated, then maybe people called by God to do His works in Muslim-dominated areas need not ask Him “Why?” Yes, I agree there’s violence in Sulu but, hey, there’s violence anywhere. So what’s the difference? Because just like everyone else, they also deserve to know who their real Savior is as well; who died on that cross to redeem each and every one of them. I’m in a profession where I get to deal with them every day and I am simply amazed with this group. They are good, friendly, and patient. So I think it’s high time that we should change our beliefs about them.
TumugonBurahinTo answer the first question, well, persecution could be the main reason. However, this question shouldn’t only be asked to the “dispersed Christians who were once Muslims” but also to us, the Christians since birth. What’s stopping us from spreading the Good News? A simple sharing of His mercy and love to our families, friends, co-workers, & acquaintances can go a long way. God bless.
Ms. Dorothy Mae Ledesma, I do agree with you when you said that, "there’s violence in Sulu but, hey, there’s violence anywhere." You're absolutely right with that. However, this should not be our reason for not responding to God's calling.Our Muslim brothers need the Lord Jesus Christ so that they, too, will be saved.
BurahinBecause of the preconceived ideas that Muslims are all bad, Christians continued to live on their own by trying to abandon and keeping a distance from them. They didn't even dare to reach out to them. On the other hand, Muslims considered Christians in general as bad people. How will these mindsets changed if we don't change the way we think and look at them?
You won't be able to know them very well until you spend time with them. I have a Muslim friend who once killed a person. I didn't know it until we became friends. But I was so thankful to the Lord that he told me a fact about Christians: “All of my life I thought that all Christians are bad for they treated Muslims as their enemies. But you are different from them, Aldwin. You actually changed my thinking about Christians.” Now, it's time to befriend them for they, too, are our ba'gays who are loved by our Lord Jesus Christ.
On the second question, it would not be commendable if a particular evangelical denomination intentionally assigns pastors and missionaries to work for a short term mission in a Muslim community. Firstly, you do not praise a servant for work that he was supposed to do. Secondly, we are already in delay when it comes to this ministry and to give praise for delay will 1. communicate the wrong message to Christians and 2. enforces the "great fear" that is supposedly "needed" to overcome when deciding to minister to our brothers.
TumugonBurahinHi Pastor Aldwin!! Thanks for this blog. It reminded me of my relational struggles. Indeed, where God sends us, He’ll be with us. Though we try not to listen, in one way or another, we’ll be sent to a place we do not want. But once we’re already there, our view changes and we see His Grace. He’ll make us meet people that can really be our ba’gay.
TumugonBurahinAs for the Muslim’s we can’t ever force them to change religion but as His light shines through us, it can help them draw near to Him. For our Pastors, they need prayers, encouragement and support. It’s not easy to live there that’s why other than the danger, they’re hesitant because of their daily needs.
I hope this blog can change the mindset of some people too who thinks that Muslim’s are all dangerous. There are many of them who are really good.
It’s all about Trusting Him completely.
May God bless you more Pastor Aldwin! Your life is a blessing to all of us!
_=+JAMELIE CALGAS+=_
"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
TumugonBurahinUsually what makes a Christian balk at God's call to "dangerous" mission fields (like Jolo, Sulu) is the human sense of self-preservation. Our human reasoning and tendencies usually tries to ensure our safety and comfort. However, when God calls us to something uncomfortable, the only best response is to obey. We are to remember what Jesus has done for us at the Cross. He has done what was uncomfortable for Him (the suffering at the Cross and the separation from the Father's presence) in order that we may be forgiven and saved. As His disciples and followers, Jesus has already told us His requirements for us, "if any man follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me." (Lk. 9:23). We must lay down whatever hinders us from obeying Him, and to learn how to trust Him. We don't mean anything calling Him "Lord", if we don't do what He says. In the context of those assigned to Jolo, Sulu, they had to lay down their sense of self-preservation in order to obey God's call. They had to trust God for their protection as they spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. And that is commendable. Their lives model the kind of surrender to Jesus, "who live no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again". I pray that we also would have that kind of heart who no longer has reservations to our Lord but has totally given up our lives for Him.
++BRICE SERQIÑA
My point is that living God's calling always brings joy regardless of where it is and what it is. Don't believe me? Ask Paul.
TumugonBurahinmichael Karpf
The passion of God for the world resonates in the passion of Christians who go where they know they are needed despite the almost inevitable danger that awaits them. Bro since a good portion of your life has been spent with your good "ba'gay"s from that place then I wouldn't be surprised if you will actually go back to Sulu and continue to minister there :). And since we are roommates, I will support you! (through prayers)
TumugonBurahinYou may download and listen to this http://media.sermonindex.net/21/SID21199.mp3.
TumugonBurahinthe speaker is an Arab-Sudanese believer. he gave some thoughts on understanding the Muslim mindset. I don't know if you are familiar with what he shared and if it is applicable locally. but I noticed that he mentioned about genuine friendship as one way of engaging with the Muslims.
Burahin