God’s Promise for the Philippines in 2008
Last night we had the cool opportunity to hear Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries speak. There were so many amazing things that happened during this 8 hour service that I can not touch on them all here. I do want to share one topic that I have not been able to stop thinking about though.
The pastor of the host church gave a brief message near the opening of the evening that directly parallels much of what God has impressed on my heart regarding the Philippines. The word was a dream/vision/prophecy the Lord gave him last November as a promise he is making with the Philippines for 2008.
1 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.
2 “ Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the LORD’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“ Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Isaiah 40:1-5 NKJV
Here is the interpretation God gave.
- The hard service for the Philippines is ending. The poverty, the corruption, the lack of identity, the oppression, the passivity … all these are over and done. The Philippines will awake this year and claim it’s God given identity. (v. 1-2)
- God will use a highway in accomplishing his work. A highway is not for slow, wandering travel—it is for speed and directly getting to your destination as fast as possible. The spiritual work that has taken ten years in the past will now be accomplished in one year. Now is the time and God is moving with speed! (v. 3)
- The Philippines (valley) shall be raised up. God will reconstruct the servant attitude of the Filipino people and replace it with an anointed missionary heart. The 15 million Overseas Philippine Workers will no longer just be hired servants, but they will be the largest missionary force in the world! (v. 4)
- When these things happen we will see the glory of God! We will see what it is like when a nation rises from being at the bottom of most lists to the top of God’s list! (v. 5)
Since the first day I stepped off the airplane in the Philippines I can testify that God has an anointed atmosphere on the Filipino people. There is just something special about this place and this people. Something that eludes to great capability. There is a willingness to serve that is paramount in the heart of Filipinos. This is the exact attitude that God can take a hold of and use in unimaginable ways. This is the trait that Jesus claimed in choosing the twelve.
Let us nurture together this word for the Philippines in our prayers this year. Just as you would pray over a conceived child, caring for it until it is delivered—let us bath this word in our prayer. Then our hearts will leap when we see these things come to pass.
Wow! May all of this come to fulfillment as the Lord pours out His Blessings on the Philippines!
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:46 amthis guy looks familiar — with his wife’s eyes and nose german eyebrows
— not quite sure if he’s the same guy hehe — nyway, nice post 
— it really is inspiring considering the hardships that we have been through in the philippines — we’re all numb now to all the disasters, bad politics, tv network wars etc — and we’re all hungry for some kind of hope — and being a filipino here in a first world country — i can feel and hear the difference — the noise in my third world country is contagious — and somehow, i miss being a part of that noise — like a big revival is coming our way soon — and it could be even happening right now — there’s so much fire in everyone — and that fire made me accept wherever God wants me to be — may it be in PH or here in US — i know that He will strategically place us in that very place where we will be much useful — and i’m excited to capture God’s promise there.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:21 amWhen I visited the country in Feb 2007, my husband and I checked into a posh hotel in Makati and was given the room that had the same number 1213 as our house which incidentally is on a street named cima del rey (as one Hispanic gentleman pointed out to me once, it means “summit of the king”). The room had an excellent view of the Makati skyline facing Shang and the Greenbelt Mall below. The next morning I awoke to a beautiful dawn and a sweeping image of a cross made by sunlight falling on the facade of a glass building. I have long asked my husband if we could move back because I feel that the Lord is preparing the country for a great mission. It was about the time you left two years ago when I was also asked by a woman, who has the gift of prophecy, to move back to the country. You are not alone. Neither am I. Other too I am sure are being given signs. I think the Lord is calling you for a mission that will unfold before your eyes.
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm