This is the Truth Network. The Lord is working around the world. I've got a young man with me right now who is planting a church in the Philippines. It's going to happen in the next two weeks. He needs your prayer, your support.
His name is Ralph. Ralph, you were a blessing to us at Wednesday in the Word. You opened us in prayer. You have a heart for the Philippines, man. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Who is Ralph? Tell us a little bit about your testimony. Yes, sir. Good morning. Good morning.
It is a great blessing to be here and to share my testimony. Um I got saved through the preaching of God's Word. I grew up as a Pastor's kid, and I thought Pastor's Pastor's Kid is enough for me to be saved. I was in church. I was in all the activities in the church.
We were busy in church. We were doing the ministry. And I thought that was the way of salvation. Not until I heard my dad preach about salvation is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And that convicted me And that day I trusted Christ as my Savior.
I have learned that I'm going to heaven. It's not because I'm a pastor's kid. I'm going to heaven because I trusted Jesus as my Savior. And from there on, I have loved the ministry. And then I said, one day I told my dad, I said, like, I want to be a pastor.
And it was hard for him to believe it. But then I went to Bible college and got my training. And then I started a little church while I was still in Bible college. And then the Lord allowed me to come to Marriott, Ohio, to get some more schooling. And then now To this day, I am married now and we have two kids, and we have already started four churches in the Philippines.
Now, in the few weeks to come, We are praying that we will be able to buy a piece of property. We are renting a place right now. Yo, it's h it this one might be hard to believe, but we are renting a place. It on Monday to Friday, it is our Um little house. But on the weekends, We put away the stuff, our bed and all our stuff, and on Saturday and Sunday it's our church.
We are just renting a place right now. This is not complaining, but this is to share to you. How good the Lord is doing in the ministry in the Philippines. Amen. That's why we are praying right now to buy a piece of property where we can call it our own, not my house.
It will be where the church building will be built and it will be a lighthouse in the darkened community because I believe that God is still in the business of saving souls. Would you help us to pray if it's not too much to ask? And if you can help and support the ministry there, you may not be there physically in the Philippines, but through the love, your support, and your prayers, you can have a part in reaching these Filipinos before it will be eternally too late. Let us do all for the glory of God. I love that.
Now, tell us about the Philippines. How many people live in the Philippines? What part of the country are you in? Give us a little bit of the climate of the spiritual climate there. Like, is it.
Predominantly Muslim, Catholic, Protestant. The Buddhist, I know there's some Buddhism there. Give us the rundown on that, will you? Yes. Uh, Philippines is uh in three different big islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Luzon is where I am at right now. The three churches that we have started is in the northern Luzon, and the one that we are starting right now in southern Luzon, where I don't know anyone in the area, I don't have any friends in the area, but that is where I believe the Lord is leading me because there is no Bible-believing church there yet.
Now, in that place, in the whole lasagne is mostly are Catholic uh uh people there. They are sold out Catholic. Which in I don't know if it's the same here. In the Philippines, they believe that they can be saved by doing good works. They are so religious, they are so obedient to the practices and everything.
But if you ask them if you die today, would you be in heaven or hell? And she would say, I don't know, but I am doing uh I'm trying to be good and trying to be obedient to the practices and all. And the Visayas and Mindanao, the two other uh island, are mostly Muslim areas. And uh when they heard when they hear that You are a Christian, especially. When you say that you are a Baptist, to be specific, they are agitated that you are in their island.
It's like that island is only for Muslim. That island is not for any other religion but Muslim.
Something like that, sir. But that also encouraged us to do more because, you know. It's not having religion, but it's having a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. That so you have Three islands, and you are planting this church in the next couple of weeks. In the south, and we're just praying for God's favor.
You're renting out, you're basically living in a house, but you're also using that house for the church, Ralph.
Well, what is the important thing? What is it that people need, you want people to pray for? This is such a critical work, man, because. There's so many folks that need to hear the gospel there. Yes, sir.
We are praying that uh we will be able to buy the piece of property. Actually, we have talked to the lot owner if because we we don't have the full amount that she is asking for the property. We asked that if she can just take a down payment so we can secure the property and then we can move there while we are like doing a ma installment. And she said that we need to pay at least thirty thousand dollars. uh to mo to secure that property and we can move in uh in that property and we can build our church there.
You know, Philippi in the Philippines, Uh, we don't need our condition or anything as we we can put a bamboo bamboo house there where we can gather and worship the Lord. We thank God that He don't look on the building, He looks into the hearts of the people there, and that's our prayer to To buy a piece of property there. And also, I'm trying to raise some support so we can do more while I'm raising support, to be on We are also supporting local missionaries in the Philippines and the missionaries that go to Southeast Asia. You might be asking how much. It's whatever the Lord laid upon your heart.
I told churches, I tell churches that I go to, if you will just save up $1 a day, you can support us $30 a month, or whatever the Lord laid upon your heart, just be obedient. Just be reminded that you are doing that for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love it. What's the website? How can folks learn more about you that do want to support you and pray for you?
Yes, sir. You can message me on Facebook. My name there is Ralph. Raulen R R A L P H space R A U L E N S-A-R-Z-A-B-A, Sarzeba, if you will, and my phone number, you can, they can also message me on my phone number. Seven four oh six two nine zero five five three or The last would be.
Uh we have a mission board. Um, in Marriott, Ohio, Independent Baptist Mission for Asians or IBMA. For any questions or clarifications, they can call me or they can reach me on my phone number. I love it, man. He's so committed to the missions.
He gives us his phone personal phone number over on a national radio show. Because he wants people to hear the gospel. He wants folks like you and me to call him or text him or send him his little bit of money. Tell them to do this. Hey, Ralph, thanks for what you're doing, man.
And hey, what's your challenge to Americans? A lot of folks listening to this show, hey, we're comfortable. We're not under tribulation or trials, we're not persecuted for our faith. What's your challenge to us about kind of waking up and And speaking up the gospel more, being bold in our faith. What's your challenge, real quick, as we get out of here?
Well, this is my challenge. You know, in the book of Colossians, the Bible says are created by him. And for him. And in the book of Psalms, the Bible says, Let everything that hath breath. Praise ye the Lord.
If you are still alive right now, we should be praising the Lord. And this is my prayer. Till the last breath we have, may the Lord find us. Faithful. May the Lord find us faithful.
True to the power. I'm not sure if I can do it.
