BCWE Business Review

II Timothy 2:1  Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  

Power is the measure of our capacity or ability to do the positive or resist the negative.  The measure of the power is our strength.  The source of our power remains a secret to so many of us.  We don’t know where to turn when our strength seems tapped out.   How can I identify my strengths and weaknesses?

Do the positive:  Knowing the positive is one purpose of a daily familiarity with the Bible and the lessons it presents.  Doing the positive is the application of all that I have learned and the expectation that the outcome I read about in the Bible is the outcome I can expect in my life.  See if you can make yourself do the positive and measure the results.  Can you keep it up or are you all talk?

Resisting the negative:  Perhaps even more difficult than doing the positive is developing the strength to resist the negative.   The motion of sin is pointed directly at our weakness where we have little strength.  Our reserve of strength  goes unused and we fall to our weaknesses.   Be honest with yourself about how often you fall prey to weights and the sins that so easily beset you.  What is your track record.  Is it one you would be proud of?  Now you know how strong you are when it comes to resisting the negative.

How do I draw strength from grace:  Understand that anything connected with Jesus Christ is powerful.  Grace is a favor shown to us by God that we have neither earned nor deserve.   Be strong, do right, resist wrong because you can.  Here are two things to practice this week to help develop your ability to use the strength found in Jesus Christ.

1. Learn to make the Bible a part of your normal daily toolbox.  Along with your cell phone and daytimer, keep the Bible with you and handy all day.  Read from proverbs when you are tempted to do wrong.
2. Learn to write down from what you read a positive thing to do and the outcome that will occur.  Luke 6:38 is a good place to start.  Give someone some help or even some kind words.  Do the positive.

 I will finish the Biography of Hudson Taylor tonight.  I highly recommend this book.  I have tried to give you some of the highlights but you should read it for yourself.  The Spiritual Secret of Hudson Taylor, by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor 

 Wating for the train to London from Brighton, Hudson Taylor was accosted by Russian Count Bobrinsky who wanted to give him some financial help toward the work in China.

 ”Allow me to give you a trifle for the work in china.” 

Glancing at the banknote as he recieved it, Mr. Taylor felt there must be some mistake, it was for no less than fifty pounds.

“Did you not mean to give me five pounds?” he said at once.  “Please let me return this note, it is for fifty”

“I cannot take it back,” replied the other, no less surprised.  “it was five pounds i meant to give, but God must have intended you to have fifty;  I cannot take it back.”

Impressed with the incident, Mr. taylor reached Pryland Road to find a prayer meeting going on.  A remittance was about to be sent to China, and the money in hand was short by forty-nine pounds, eleven shillings of the sum thought to be needed.  This sum was being asked for in simple faith, whereupon Mr. Taylor laid his precious banknote for fifty pounds on the table.  Could it have come more direclty from the heavenly Father’s hand?  “Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the kindness of the Lord.”  Psalm 107:43

The sweetest part, if one may speak of one part being sweeter than another, is the rest which full identification with Christ brings.  I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize this, for He, I know, is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine.  It makes no matter where He places me, or how.  That is rather for Him to consider than for me, for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient.  

It little matters to my servant whether I send him to buy a few pennies worth of things, or the most expensive articles,  In either case the servant looks to me for the money and brings me his purchases. So, if God place me in great perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; in positions of great difficulty, much grace; In circumstances of great pressure and trial much strength?  No fear that His resources will be unequal to the emergency! And His resources are mine for He is mine, and is with me and dwells in me.

All this springs from the believer’s oneness with Christ.  And since Christ has thus dwelt in my heart by faith, how happy I have been!  I wish I could tell you, instead of writing about it.

The Bridge Builders had their first official work day today to paint the Sunday School room.  Many thanks to Mike Shane for picking up the paint, David Allison and Joe Gibby for helping to administer the paint.    We had a good time.  Many comments were made about the color.    My daughter Kathryn says its way cool and gives it two thumbs up.  Sandy was speechless.

 If you have never had Sunday School on the Serengeti, here is your chance.  We will be talking about “right thinking” tomorrow.

Becoming a Witness:  Here is a lesson from John chapter 9 on simple witnessing.  Read the chapter and see this great story about the healing of the blind man.  Then understand this simple pattern to giving your testimony to anyone.  See how simple and fool proof this is.

 John 9:1  Understand that we entered our relationship with Christ not because we were looking for Him but because He was looking for us.  We could not see Him, but He saw us. 

John 9:3  Salvation is His work in us.  We are His workmanship  Ephesians 2:10.  As His work is manifest in us, it begins to show. 

John 9:8-9  Even though all the changes happen on the inside, they cannot help but show themselves on the outside.  His neighbors knew that a change had taken place.  It was the same man, but there was definitely something different.

Testimony Part 1:  John 9:9  I am he.  People noticed that a significant change had taken place and that something was noticeably different.  This is an attention getting circumstance.  Go ahead and fess up that its you but there is something new.

 It begs the question that changes the focus from me to Christ. John 9:10  How were thine eyes opened? John 9:11  The answer was comprised of the basic and exact components of the event.  They had no spiritual explanation with them and he offered no additional information.  It was a basic account of what happened.

1. Weird sounding cure.  They will think the change is due to some new diet or a new attitude.  They will be a little shocked when you tell them the nature of the change.
2. Identified Jesus by name.  This is the name above all names.  Philippians 2:10
3. Talked about the command and his obedience.  Simply that he was obedient to the call of Christ.

John 9:12  How to answer questions that you do not know the answer to.  I dont have all the answers and neither does anyone else.  The man that was born blind was given a question that had nothing to do with receiving his sight so he answered by saying.  I don’t know.  That is an acceptable answer for Bible questions you don’t understand. 

John 9:15  He repeats the story.  That is because it says all he needs to say.

 John 9:21  No one else can tell your story like you.  In this aspect you are the most credible witness of what happened to you. John 9:25  There will be some in every crowd that will dispute our testimony and try to make us think that there is some flaw because we cannot explain all the details.  He merely responded by saying what no one could dispute.  I used to be blind, but now I see. John 9:34  Old associations begin to break away.  They cast him out for no fault of his own but because of the change that had taken place.  He was asked to deny the virtue of the one that had healed him in order to stay in the synagogue.  His decision, though right, had sorrow with it.  That sorrow worked a greater relationship with Christ. John 9:35-38  The relationship grows between Christ and us as we witness.  We find a greater worship. 

The Great Commission,  Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, John 20:21, Acts 1:8

This is the lesson from the Bridge Builder’s Sunday Business Seminar at Vision Baptist Church.  

If you know me very well, you know I get called to every mission field I visit. Sandy asked me if I was feeling the call yet. I told her that I was but that since it is unusually mild and cool weather for Burkina Faso I was going to wait and see if I was getting a false reading. I imagine you have already read Austin’s blog and seen the numbers for the meeting yesterday. It was one of those special services that will stick in my mind for years. I wished that all of you could have been there.

My pastor preached his heart out all week but last night was the capstone. The men in the room had a real vision placed in front of them. It was the vision of them doing something great for God. Building a team and literally a new society in Burkina Faso that would shake the city and turn it on its head. The service was followed at brother Kieth’s house with a room full of men. Salif, Simon, Bado, Tali, Cofey, Gilbert, Mamadou, Pastor Zachary, Keith, Austin and I. Austin spoke about becoming a team. Keith translated and showed his heart for the men. Bado honored Austin and I on behalf of the church with a couple of beautiful globes made in Africa.

The baptism service was one of the most exciting I have been involved in. The water was extra cold. You would have to understand how hot it gets here to know how cold these people get this time of year. Austin and I are comfortable in short sleeves and most of them are bundled up in parkas or heavy jackets. They would sing and clap as Keith took each of them down. When Keith Shumaker baptizes you, resisting is not an option. You are going down and under. I have been so thoroughly impressed with their love for the people and the people for them. Reality is, these Burkinabaes are beautiful people and endear you very quickly.

We will be working hard today and packing up tonight to leave around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. By Tuesday night I should be back home to my lovely wife and daughters. Here are some baptism pictures.

Today we left early for the work in Roungou about 2 hours north of Ouagadougou. We didnt get too far out of town and experienced engine trouble. Praise God that the weather was nice and we didnt have to walk too far before finding a great place to sit and discuss a plan to grow the work in Burkina Faso.

I could not help but think about the people that I saw today and wonder why I get to go home to a soft bed and comfortable house and most of them will go home to a dirt floor and small provisions. Some will sleep in the cold with an empty stomach and worst of all, without Jesus Christ. I would have to have a great responsability that goes along with the blessing of living in America with all the abundance, and opportunity that I have been given.

Keep up with Keith and Rebekah Shumaker and the Work in Burkina Faso:

Showing off the motor to those passing by on donkeys.

Those of you that know my pastor Austin Gardner know that statement. It was one of those challenging messages to do something for God. Austin and Keith (translating) preached the message in English and French tonight to 71 people attending the services at the “Eglise Baptiste De L’eau Vive” in Burkina Faso. It was an exciting service that asked for real men to step up and be counted in the service of the great God of Heaven.

Austin challenged all those attending to come early, stay late, and realize that the will of God is the single most important thing in our lives. The building we are in is about one year into construction and has most of the roof and walls finished. Please continue to pray for the Shumakers in Burkina Faso.

We just got back from our first service at Eglise Baptiste De L’eau Vive in Burkina Faso. Brother Keith Shumaker started this church a year ago. I will be updating the pictures of the construction progress during the week on the bcwe website. The Shumakers are being greatly used of God here in Burkina Faso. You can keep up with them on their blog.

I had the privilege of challenging them for a few minutes to use what they have for God. Austin preached on turning the world upside down for Christ from Acts chapter 4. It was fun to watch him preach with an interpreter (Brother Keith). There were 65 in the service and the response appeared to be very good to the message. I was challenged again to consider all that God wants to do in my life to reach the world.

Sister Shumaker is a tireless worker and has been a great hostess to us. Someone evidently told her that I survive on coffee. It is a pleasure staying in their home. I know that my wife would love to be here and get her hands on their three adorable children. Emily, Meredith and Isaac.

Pray that God does great things this week in Burkina Faso.

Its no secret that the economy and the housing market are suffering financially. Since I have made my living in the real estate and housing industry, the last year and a half have proven difficult if not impossible at times. Still, God has a way of showing that He is in control and that we need to trust Him.

This week one of my field leaders called me to say that some of the guys thought it would be good to get together and pray that God would work in the business and help us survive this market and economy. I was expecting a handful of men and thought we would have prayer then talk then leave. This morning, the man organizing the meeting called and told me he thought about 20 men were coming. I called Austin and asked him to come preach a message on dealing with problem times. When we got there, i was greeted by 28 of our people. I was amazed. Austin preached, some of the men gave a short testimony of how God had been faithful, we prayed then went home. I was encouraged beyond words at their desire to seek God’s will for our business and life.

I beleive when men get together and pray with sincerity and a contrite heart, God hears and answers prayer. I want to encourage anyone who has not read the blog on Father Knows Best to check that out. I can tell you that my pastor is a man who can talk about trials and trusting God. I do not want to be rescued from a trial to be the man I was before the trial, but to come forth as gold and as a better servant for Him.