Welcome to Declaring His Glory! This is the blog of Aaron and Stephanie Putney, privileged servants of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Republic of the Philippines.
Who would anticipate that the very first post of a deputation blog would be one of a very surprising change in the way we anticipated beginning the ministry God called us to? Although some recent news is something that caught us by suprise, it didn't surprise God! God never said we have to understand, just be willing and obedient (Pr. 3:5-6; Isa. 1:19). Someday, God's plan in all areas of our lives will be clear and then it will be evident that all aspects of it were working toward the most important primary end - the greatest glorification of God possible in every situation.
Further, it is just like God to tear up the script once in a while to set the odds less in our favor (by our rational reasoning) and more in favor of God alone being glorified when He does what only He can do! We decrease, He increases; we get amazed by His wondrous works and He gets glorified! Praise the LORD!
Missionary Jeff Basset to the Ivory Coast preached a message that God used in a mighty way on April 23rd of 2003. This was within months of God doing a lifechanging work in our lives that we haven't recovered from yet, nor ever will! It was just weeks after I committed to God to go to Bible Institute full time but as of yet I had no call to ministry. At this time of brokenness and sensitivity to every word uttered from the pulpit, God sent a man to preach one of those messages that immediately becomes burned on your heart and stored on the permanent hard drive of your soul. The message was titled
What is God's script for your life? (click the title to listen). That night the missionary used God's word to illustrate through Joseph and others how God can take what you think is supposed to be the script that leads to God's promised end for your life and tear it up. God has ways of getting people and circumstances into perfect order that He may be magnified the most. In doing this, His servants often wonder and many times doubt out of little faith, yet again and again He shows Himself victorious. I remember vividly how he gave account of his wife surrendering to God to go anywhere - that is, anywhere but Africa...you can figure out the rest. The road and terrain is frequently different that we envision - but He lets us know in advance that this is to be expected (Isa. 55) because His ways are not our ways neither are His thoughts, our thoughts.
God used circumstances that He arranged, prayer, godly counsel and assurance from scripture to call us to the Philippines. Further, He used a wonderful missionary family to show us more closely the needs, the culture, the opportunities and so much more regarding this land. Time went by and God started to put some other pieces together. God had been working on this family about moving to Baguio, a city in the northern mountain region of Luzon to assist a church that had experienced some hardship and get a Bible school going there again. At the same time He had been dealing with us about unreached peoples and the tribal groups also in the norther regions of Luzon Island
It appeared that God was orchestrating our families to work together there in the early stages of our reaching the field that we might learn from their experience of 10 years in the Philippines. This dear brother in Christ that we were to partner with in the initial stages of our time in the Philippines will not be in Baguio when we arrive after all. He let me know of that direction God has moved them in and that His marching orders have changed. God filled every gap and raised up a man for the work in Baguio to get them back on their feet. We love him and pray the best for his family and change in ministry. God gave us a special blessing when this brother came into my life on my first business trip to Manila. We have become good friends and his family is dear to our hearts. Selfishly we have some sadness and Baguio is now without one of the greatest missionary examples that I have ever met. Yet the Lord is good, He has a will and He has the means to accomplish His will. We also know that God will use them mightily where He has directed them to. We are excited that He would afford us any part in spreading His redemptive gospel to this area of the world. God has great things in store for His glory and we look forward to serving our worthy Saviour in the Philippines where there are nearly 90 million people that need Jesus Christ. He is not willing that any of them should perish, but that all should come to repentance! Our focus is clear, our path is straight, our God is reliable! We appreciate your support in prayer. I think it was Oswald Chambers that said, "prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work." God allows prayer (with faith) to be a vehicle to give us access to His power, grace and wisdom - and we need this desperately for anything worthwhile to happen during our preparation, deputation and in the Philippines. We desire and anticipate seeing God do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think!
