Our expectations create the atmosphere in which we live. When we live expecting big things, we often live downcast because the small things that pass our way are not perceived. When we have expectations of small things, we can live delighted for every small detail that comes our way and together many small details create big blessings.
In the way a small child lives expecting his father to fulfill the promises that he gives, we are living in expectation of what God has promised to do in Mexico. The small blessings that we are receiving from the Lord at this time are reason of great joy.
In the town of Santa Maria del Oro, a county seat, the Lord told us to plant a church there over 12 years ago. We started and in these 12 years we have only seen 3 families saved of which two moved out of town. This last week we had 17 people in our weekly service and now we have a young minister from our Bible School that is working with us there. We still have no church building or new converts but the Lord is fulfilling His word and it is reason of great joy.
In the small town of San Luis de Lozada we have had several deaths of older members in the last years including Pastor Chuy that was overseeing the work. Many services only had 4 to 6 people attending. This last Sunday we had 18 people in service, most of them non-Christians. A cause of great joy.
Our State of Nayarit (along with all of Mexico) was called to a time of prayer and fasting and various pastors answered the call. Along with the 56 days of prayer and fasting we decided to participate in three joint activities. By the time you receive this letter the first one will be history but the miracle has already started. We invited the participating churches to form a joint choir. At the first choir practice we had 25 people show up to sing. Now after one month of having two practice sessions a week we now have 83 people coming out to each rehearsal. TO GOD BE THE GLORY
Even in finances the Lord Jesus Christ has been faithful. In the last months money has been really tight, as we have reached out to start new endeavors. Three times in that time span we have received a text message from a brother in the Lord, that he has wired us money just at the right time without us even mentioning our need to him. This last week I had to make a trip out of State and I didn’t have the finances to go. Unexpectedly we received a down payment on some products that we had sold, when the contract said that no payment had to be made for 2 months. Once again our needs were met.
Joy is the fulfilling of our expectations. The Lord is showing us to expect small things and thus live in His eternal JOY.
In this time of a special moving of the Holy Spirit we pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry. We appreciate your faithful offerings that help us to continue moving forward.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
I Have Learned
JULY/AUGUST 2009
We are born without knowledge and when we get to heaven we will know all things even as we are known. Life is a school of learning. As Christians, God brings us through learning experiences so that we will obtain wisdom, understanding and faith.
Here in Mexico, on the mission field were God has called us to participate in His school we continue to stretch out faith to receive the promises that are given to us. Even though we have seen over a 30% drop in the offerings we receive in the last 6 months, the Lord Jesus has called us to push on forward. He is calling us to sow more, do more and give more.
Mexico has never had a revival with in its borders. A prophetic word has gone out from heaven that a might revival is coming to Mexico. We are watching this prophecy being fulfilled as we are being joined together with other pastors in the city to work together. We are joining together to pray, to worship God and to fellowship. In our pastor’s meeting in June we had over 25 pastors present. As a ministry we are one of the State organizers of a national call to prayer. Our job is to coordinate the activities among the churches in our State. The finality of the activities that we are organizing is a 56 day call to prayer and fasting nation wide. Even though we have started with preliminary activities our 56 days of prayer start the 2nd of August through the 26th of September. During this time we will be organizing various joint activities among the churches as well as promoting times of prayer and fasting in each individual church. The final day we are programming as joint service for over 100 churches in our State as a night of prayer and intercession for Mexico.
The call is not only to work with the churches but to also raise the finances necessary for each activity. In a time of recession, we are called to believe on the One who as called us knowing that He is able. This is part of the school of God.
In our everyday ministry we were able to finish two school years together. In the middle of June we finished a course at our Bible school ‘Rios de Agua Viva’ and in the first week of July our Christian Secondary school ‘Xecora’ closed its doors for summer vacations. We will be using our extra time this summer to get caught up with the backlog of office work and visitation that need to be done. We have also opened a small factory that processes food products that will bless us in many facets of our ministry.
We are also extending our family ministry outside of Mexico as our son Simri leaves us this summer to finish his studies in Australia. In June both Simri and Damara graduated from university where they majored in music. Simri will be continuing his studies in music as well as ministry.
On the home front Lucy is doing a great job of ministering in the churches,especially with the women and in the music ministry. Vanessa has now graduated from 2nd grade and travels with us to the many churches we minister in sometime participating in up to five services a week.
In this Summer time we pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry. We appreciate your faithful offerings that help us to continue moving forward.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
We are born without knowledge and when we get to heaven we will know all things even as we are known. Life is a school of learning. As Christians, God brings us through learning experiences so that we will obtain wisdom, understanding and faith.
Here in Mexico, on the mission field were God has called us to participate in His school we continue to stretch out faith to receive the promises that are given to us. Even though we have seen over a 30% drop in the offerings we receive in the last 6 months, the Lord Jesus has called us to push on forward. He is calling us to sow more, do more and give more.
Mexico has never had a revival with in its borders. A prophetic word has gone out from heaven that a might revival is coming to Mexico. We are watching this prophecy being fulfilled as we are being joined together with other pastors in the city to work together. We are joining together to pray, to worship God and to fellowship. In our pastor’s meeting in June we had over 25 pastors present. As a ministry we are one of the State organizers of a national call to prayer. Our job is to coordinate the activities among the churches in our State. The finality of the activities that we are organizing is a 56 day call to prayer and fasting nation wide. Even though we have started with preliminary activities our 56 days of prayer start the 2nd of August through the 26th of September. During this time we will be organizing various joint activities among the churches as well as promoting times of prayer and fasting in each individual church. The final day we are programming as joint service for over 100 churches in our State as a night of prayer and intercession for Mexico.
The call is not only to work with the churches but to also raise the finances necessary for each activity. In a time of recession, we are called to believe on the One who as called us knowing that He is able. This is part of the school of God.
In our everyday ministry we were able to finish two school years together. In the middle of June we finished a course at our Bible school ‘Rios de Agua Viva’ and in the first week of July our Christian Secondary school ‘Xecora’ closed its doors for summer vacations. We will be using our extra time this summer to get caught up with the backlog of office work and visitation that need to be done. We have also opened a small factory that processes food products that will bless us in many facets of our ministry.
We are also extending our family ministry outside of Mexico as our son Simri leaves us this summer to finish his studies in Australia. In June both Simri and Damara graduated from university where they majored in music. Simri will be continuing his studies in music as well as ministry.
On the home front Lucy is doing a great job of ministering in the churches,especially with the women and in the music ministry. Vanessa has now graduated from 2nd grade and travels with us to the many churches we minister in sometime participating in up to five services a week.
In this Summer time we pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry. We appreciate your faithful offerings that help us to continue moving forward.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
Friday, March 20, 2009
God Given Ideas in Times of Economic Upheaval
March-April 2009
God’s work is going to get done. It doesn’t depend on abundance or on friends, only on God’s providence. In Jesus` three years of ministry we never find that He was in want, even though he had a thief for a treasurer. Paul knew what it was to have abundance and to be in want in a physical sense, but through it all, the ministry he carried out kept going forward. There were times of physical work as well as ministry. He told the Thessalonian church that while he was with them he worked to not be a burden to them. Later on that same church became a donator into the ministry. Paul’s words in Acts are what catch my attention; Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. ¨
In the churches where we minister, one of the challenges is getting young people to work. With the minimum wage now only $3.50 a DAY in our part of Mexico, many youth prefer to not do anything. One of the passages of the Bible that we teach is that we work not only so that we can have money but also so we have money to give away (2 Thes. 3). In first place I don’t work for people, I work for God. In second place I don’t work so that I can have more, I work so that I can have more to give to people who have needs. This might be a good lesson for more than the youth to whom we are ministering.
Being constant is a virtue that makes things go. Our ministry team continues to minister in all the local churches in the area. More over five days a week we have classes in our Secondary School and four of those days are also used to minister in the Bible School. Children’s ministry, counseling. prayer and activities are all part of a life of ministry. The programming of our youth and children’s camps is also in the making. All this is necessary but more than all of this, what makes this work exciting is when we see people set on fire by the Holy Spirit.
A young man who I will call Jose had become disillusioned with God. In his time, in another city Jesus had touched his life along with the lives of his family. Trials and false accusation had made the family run and under the pressures that society placed on them they had slipped away from their walk with God. When Jose came to church with us for the first time he was an aloof, disinterested young man. He worked a menial job and lived without any apparent motivations in his life. One day while in service, the Lord told me to invite him to attend Bible School. I could see no interest of serving God in his life, much less the need to attend a Bible School. Eventually I obeyed God and gave him the invitation to attend our course that was starting in March. Much to my surprise (not God’s) he came. Within the first week he was transformed. His desire to serve our Lord Jesus was rekindled and the change is incredible. If that can happen in one week, try to imagine what 3 months of study and prayer will do.
To be able to fulfill the calling God has put on our lives, we have involved ourselves in the overseeing of a new business in our town. Through it we are able to minister to a lot of new people who we wouldn’t meet otherwise. Also we can supply good jobs to some people from our churches. We know that in the near future this will also bring financial blessing into our lives so that we will have more to give. Jesus´ words ring true still today; ¨It is more blessed to give than to receive.¨
We continue to pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry and the vision that we carry here in Mexico. We covet your prayers. We appreciate your faithful offerings that help us to continue moving forward.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
God’s work is going to get done. It doesn’t depend on abundance or on friends, only on God’s providence. In Jesus` three years of ministry we never find that He was in want, even though he had a thief for a treasurer. Paul knew what it was to have abundance and to be in want in a physical sense, but through it all, the ministry he carried out kept going forward. There were times of physical work as well as ministry. He told the Thessalonian church that while he was with them he worked to not be a burden to them. Later on that same church became a donator into the ministry. Paul’s words in Acts are what catch my attention; Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. ¨
In the churches where we minister, one of the challenges is getting young people to work. With the minimum wage now only $3.50 a DAY in our part of Mexico, many youth prefer to not do anything. One of the passages of the Bible that we teach is that we work not only so that we can have money but also so we have money to give away (2 Thes. 3). In first place I don’t work for people, I work for God. In second place I don’t work so that I can have more, I work so that I can have more to give to people who have needs. This might be a good lesson for more than the youth to whom we are ministering.
Being constant is a virtue that makes things go. Our ministry team continues to minister in all the local churches in the area. More over five days a week we have classes in our Secondary School and four of those days are also used to minister in the Bible School. Children’s ministry, counseling. prayer and activities are all part of a life of ministry. The programming of our youth and children’s camps is also in the making. All this is necessary but more than all of this, what makes this work exciting is when we see people set on fire by the Holy Spirit.
A young man who I will call Jose had become disillusioned with God. In his time, in another city Jesus had touched his life along with the lives of his family. Trials and false accusation had made the family run and under the pressures that society placed on them they had slipped away from their walk with God. When Jose came to church with us for the first time he was an aloof, disinterested young man. He worked a menial job and lived without any apparent motivations in his life. One day while in service, the Lord told me to invite him to attend Bible School. I could see no interest of serving God in his life, much less the need to attend a Bible School. Eventually I obeyed God and gave him the invitation to attend our course that was starting in March. Much to my surprise (not God’s) he came. Within the first week he was transformed. His desire to serve our Lord Jesus was rekindled and the change is incredible. If that can happen in one week, try to imagine what 3 months of study and prayer will do.
To be able to fulfill the calling God has put on our lives, we have involved ourselves in the overseeing of a new business in our town. Through it we are able to minister to a lot of new people who we wouldn’t meet otherwise. Also we can supply good jobs to some people from our churches. We know that in the near future this will also bring financial blessing into our lives so that we will have more to give. Jesus´ words ring true still today; ¨It is more blessed to give than to receive.¨
We continue to pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry and the vision that we carry here in Mexico. We covet your prayers. We appreciate your faithful offerings that help us to continue moving forward.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Same Message in a Different Manner
Since 1976 Seedtime and Harvest Ministries has primarily focused on missions in Mexico. There have been many changes in these passing years. For example, newsletters such as this were run off on mimeographs or written by hand. Black and white copies with streaks through them were standard. Today every missionary has to have a computer and color printer just for mail outs although there is now a shift to e-mail instead of print outs. The challenge of presenting an unchanging God to a rapidly changing world is humongous.
In presenting our unchanging God we need to differentiate between God's laws and man’s interpretations of those laws. Clothing and hairstyles have changed. Work habits and travel have changed. We can even go as far to say that our culture has changed. Missionaries used to be sent to minister to lost tribes of the world but now outreach to closed countries is also a missions focus.
There are countries in the world where Caucasian people cannot minister. Our ministry this year will focus on training Latin (Mexican) missionaries to reach out to people in these countries. It is a change of mentality. We can’t send missionaries out on offerings of $5 and $10 a month while we spend ten times that on incidentals during the week. We need to equip our missionaries doctrinally, culturally and financially. For the Mexican Christian church to change from being a receiving church to a sending church is a challenge in itself. The need for seasoned missionaries to stand behind this job is essential.
In 2009 we will be taking our first trip into Pakistan to open doors for missionaries from our churches to minister there. To be able to orchestrate this change we need to strengthen the local churches and shift the focus from ourselves to the needs of the world. Many in our present society consider Christianity a Sunday activity rather than a way of life. As we push our churches toward a "vision for missions" we try to bring Christianity into all aspects of our lives. We continue to work with Christian schools, sports projects, youth activities and more. We also work to get businesses and other organizations involved in our outreaches and activities. The finances of the world are needed in these times of change. The Bible promises us this:
For God gives to a man what is good in His sight: wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner He gives travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. Eccl. 2:26
Our job is to be a channel of these funds.
Church planting, teaching, instructing and confirming the saints are jobs that we will continue doing as long as we are here on the earth. Being a holy nation and a peculiar people is essential and we will continue to teach these principles.
Please stand with us with your finances and your prayers as we walk with the church family in these times of change.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
January-February 2009
In presenting our unchanging God we need to differentiate between God's laws and man’s interpretations of those laws. Clothing and hairstyles have changed. Work habits and travel have changed. We can even go as far to say that our culture has changed. Missionaries used to be sent to minister to lost tribes of the world but now outreach to closed countries is also a missions focus.
There are countries in the world where Caucasian people cannot minister. Our ministry this year will focus on training Latin (Mexican) missionaries to reach out to people in these countries. It is a change of mentality. We can’t send missionaries out on offerings of $5 and $10 a month while we spend ten times that on incidentals during the week. We need to equip our missionaries doctrinally, culturally and financially. For the Mexican Christian church to change from being a receiving church to a sending church is a challenge in itself. The need for seasoned missionaries to stand behind this job is essential.
In 2009 we will be taking our first trip into Pakistan to open doors for missionaries from our churches to minister there. To be able to orchestrate this change we need to strengthen the local churches and shift the focus from ourselves to the needs of the world. Many in our present society consider Christianity a Sunday activity rather than a way of life. As we push our churches toward a "vision for missions" we try to bring Christianity into all aspects of our lives. We continue to work with Christian schools, sports projects, youth activities and more. We also work to get businesses and other organizations involved in our outreaches and activities. The finances of the world are needed in these times of change. The Bible promises us this:
For God gives to a man what is good in His sight: wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner He gives travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. Eccl. 2:26
Our job is to be a channel of these funds.
Church planting, teaching, instructing and confirming the saints are jobs that we will continue doing as long as we are here on the earth. Being a holy nation and a peculiar people is essential and we will continue to teach these principles.
Please stand with us with your finances and your prayers as we walk with the church family in these times of change.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
January-February 2009
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
It's More than a Confession
Newsletter-November-December 2008
With our youth activity ‘El Punto’ we don’t focus on people accepting Christ or getting healed. We let them see Christianity as a lifestyle. We let them see Christ outside the church building in the world where they live. The street people, drug users, and others find a Christian atmosphere where they can express themselves and find a different option in life. They see that we Christians can have fun without the help of vices. We let them see Jesus on the street.
Thousands of youth came through the two day event we held on the 24th and 25th of October. We gave out over two thousand dollars in prizes donated from local businesses. We made an impact on our city and area. This is something that we are going to take to other areas of
We pray rich blessings upon all during this Christmas time
as we all celebrate CHRIST JESUS
and His birth that has given mankind hope and life.
We covet your prayers as we work to meet
our financial obligations for the projects
we are continuing to carry on.
We appreciate your faithful offerings
that help us to fulfill our vision.
as we all celebrate CHRIST JESUS
and His birth that has given mankind hope and life.
We covet your prayers as we work to meet
our financial obligations for the projects
we are continuing to carry on.
We appreciate your faithful offerings
that help us to fulfill our vision.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
Monday, November 10, 2008
God Always Wins
Newsletter September-October 2008
The life of a Christian moves in many areas that include the spiritual and the natural. Since the spiritual was first it is the most important. The modern society has tried to eliminate the spiritual aspect of mankind and categorize spiritual problems as physical disorders. As Christians we understand what is spiritual warfare “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” Even though we live in a very natural world we are affected by spiritual events.
We had a very good trip this summer through the States of Texas and
On the home front we are blessed to be in a time of tribulation as we are going through a time such as Paul wrote to the Romans: “For we know that all nature has been groaning and travailing together until this hour. And not only that, we ourselves, although we are grasping the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves are inwardly groaning, while we are waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body”. We are blessed in that tribulation brings us closer to our Father and makes us trust in His Word. If we were to look at our situation with natural eyes we would see defeat. We will share with you some of the struggles that we are going through:
a) Enrollment in our Secondary school dropped this year instead of increasing and we are $12,000 dollars short for our yearly budget. The Primary Christian school in our city that we worked with closed it’s doors for lack of finances
b) The youth activity we call ‘El Punto’ that we will be doing in different States was almost completely financed through offerings, pledges and support from foundations. At the last minute one of the foundations broke the contract and we are $80,000 dollars short at one month from starting the activities. We are going forward with the activities and our God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory.
c) Our national churches are all self supporting (except for our own income) but we have experienced a large drop in income to the place that we have spent all our reserves and we are living each day as it comes to just cover expenses. With all this we have not deceased our missions giving in the least.
All that is happening at this time are blessings as we are getting the opportunity to stretch and increase our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that some of you will be used by the Lord to help us through these trying times. What rings in my mind at this time are the words of Mordecai to Hadassah: “For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place,…. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this?” As the Lord was faithful with his people in the time of Mordecai so he will be with us as we march forward under His banner, Jehovah- Nissi.
We continue to pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry and the vision that we carry here in
Philip, Lucy, Simri and Vanessa Tolman
Saturday, July 05, 2008
God Created All We Are
Newsletter July/August 2008
The Church has many aspects of life that it has to cover. A person’s walk with God not only involves getting saved and baptized. It involves the transformation of our lives as we take on the character of Christ in our lives. Mission work is not only getting people to recognize the need of having Jesus Christ in their lives but it is also walking hand in hand with them as they continue down salvation’s path. As a ministry we are working in the three areas of this process.
The Church: This is the spiritual side of the ministry. Every week we are ministering in 7 different churches or centers as we bring in new converts and help them as they grow in The Way. We also supervise 4 other churches that are directly under our covering. There are sermons to prepare, classes for the
The People: The church family is a small part of ministry. Just as Jesus ministered to many people that weren’t his disciples, we are called to reach out to all men. Much of our day is spent ministering to people that perhaps will never darken our church door but they need a touch from the Master’s hand. In our Secondary School, during street ministry or just with people we meet every day, we need to let them touch the Jesus in us.
Just the other day a young man that is a professing atheist stopped to talk with me. We have known him and his family for years. He described an event in his life where anger took control of his actions and when all was said and done he mentioned two thought came to his mind - what would Philip (I’m not brother Philip to him) have done in this situation and how would Jesus have reacted.
We really don’t know how much we influence other people’s lives.
The Social: The church has to be involved in the social aspect of people’s lives. Our main thrust in this area is a youth activity we call ‘El Punto’ which reaches out to thousands of youth in each event. Our budget this year for 4 events is over $200,000 dollars. Since it is social we look to the world to finance these events. Our focus is drug abuse prevention and youth expressions in a positive way. We are working hand in hand with different government agencies and private foundations to make these events a reality.
In this Summer time we pray rich blessings upon all you who support this ministry. We covet your prayers as we will be traveling extensively to meet our financial obligations We appreciate your faithful offerings that help us to continue moving forward.
Philip, Lucy, Simri & Vanessa Tolman
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