Polished Shaft
Tonight was a great night! I am so proud of Bro. Kevin White and the fine work he and his wife, Beth, are doing. There were 143 in attendance with many being dealt with by God. They had some incredible skits, good singing and games. It was obvious that much hard work had gone into preparing for the night.
If you are looking for a place to bring a group this would be an excellent missionary to visit. They have such a humble, servants spirit. Right now it is around 10:30 p.m. and Mrs. Beth is preparing something to eat for about ten of us. She has been such a great host. I am very proud of this family and count it such an honor to serve with them.
Stacey says hello. It has been such a treat to have my wife with me. I thank God for such a wonderful help meet. Thanks for praying for us.
Bro. Tony
First Service
Our first service at Vision Baptist Church here in Bolivia went well. Bro. Kevin White has done a fine job learning the language and translated for me tonight. (I say he has done a good job learning the language because the people stay focused and knew what he was talking about….not bad!!) Bro. Kevin started this church 2 1/2 years ago and tonight for their midweek service they had around 80 people in attendance. There were several there that were new converts. It is truly an exciting place where God is at work. Mrs. Beth has been quite the hostess even though she has two girls and a new born. We have been treated like royalty!
Please keep the meeting in your prayers as we begin the Youth Conference part tomorrow night. May God give us souls and surrenders for His glory. May God use each of you greatly.
Bro. Tony
We Arrived!
Praise the Lord for safe flights with relatively few problems. Stacey and I are here with Kevin and Beth White, missionaries in Bolivia. God has truly used this family to accomplish some great things. Tonight we will preach at the church he started, Vision Baptist and then tomorrow start a youth conference. Bro. Kevin is also working with a friend of mine from Peru named Coco Montenegro. Coco has a wife named Jenney and they are truly a special couple.
Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We are asking God for a great week of His mighty presence. Please pray for souls to be saved and lives to be changed.
The Soul Winner’s Prayer
I recently came across the following in a book I was reading. It bore witness with my heart and I pray will stir yours as well.
The Soul Winner’s Prayer
Lord, give to me Thy love for souls,
For lost and wand’ring sheep,
That I may see the multitudes
And weep as Thou didst weep.
Help me to see the tragic plight
Of souls far off in sin;
Help me to love, to pray, and go
To bring the wand’ring in.
From off the altar of Thy heart
Take Thou some flaming coals,
Then touch my life and give me, Lord,
A heart that’s hot for souls.
O Fire of Love, O Flame Divine,
Make Thy abode in me;
Burn in my heart, burn evermore,
Till I burn out for thee
_______ Eugene M. Harrison
May God help us to see souls saved everywhere we go. If we are not seeing people saved where we are, we should not be too surprised when people are not saved when we get to the field.
May God burn in you my brothers.
Bro. Tony
Orientation Going Great
It is hard to believe that it is Wednesday afternoon and we are more than half way through Orientation this week with the Macedonia missionaries. The teaching and preaching has been powerful, Scriptural, and practical. I am so very excited to have met some of our new missionaries and look forward to working with them (they may not feel the same way!!) and some of our veteran missionaries that I have not seen for awhile.
Please keep us in your prayers that God would use Macedonia to train, prepare and encourage local churches and their people to get the Gospel to the World.
What a privilege!
Bro. Tony
Orientation Next Week
Just wanted to send out a reminder about the Orientation next week at Macedonia World Baptist Missions. This will be a wonderful time of fellowship and training. Please pray for the new missionaries and for those returning for furlough. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. A week of camp, a week of Orientation and a week in Bolivia. What a privilege to serve God!
OG Leadership Camp
It is Thursday evening and the young people are with their devotional groups. Services have gone wonderful with a young person graduating from the training center and getting ready to be a volunteer in Peru. I had the opportunity to preach today and teach three sessions. I am so excited about the future of these young people and excitedly await their future. I will have the opportunity to preach one more time tomorrow before they head home.
Thank you so much for your prayers. How we urgently need to see a generation surrender to God and take His word to the world.
It has been a wonderful week.
The Bible
Last night I had the privilege in taking part in an Ordination service for David Gardner, missionary to Peru South America. Below is some things I gathered and put together that you may be able to use. May our hearts burn today for the Word of God.
May God do great and mighty thing through your life and preaching.
Theodore Rooservelt - “No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible”
Douglas MacArthur - “Believe me sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the Word of God before I go to bed.”
Martin Luther - “It cannot be otherwise, for the Scriptures are divine; in them God speaks, and they are His Word. To hear or read Scriptures in nothing else than to hear God.”
James 1:23-25 it is a Mirror that shows us who we are before God
I Peter 1:23 it is the incorruptible seed which abides forever
Ephesians 5:25-27 it is water that cleanses, quenches and refreshes
Psalm 119:105 it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path
Hebrews 4:12 it is a sword that divides asunder the soul and spirit; that discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Psalm 19:10 it is gold
Psalm 12:6 it is silver
It is precious amen!
I Peter 2:2 it is milk that should be desired that we may grow thereby.
Hebrews 5:12-14 it is meat for the mature to discern good and evil
John 6:51 it bread of life
Psalm 19:10 it is sweeter than the honey and honeycomb
Jeremiah 23:29 it is a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces
Jeremiah 20:9 it is a fire that burns in the man of Gods bones!
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It convicts of sin - Heb 4:12
It converts the soul - James 1:18
It cleanses the conscience - John 15:3
It consecrates the life - John 17:17
It corrects the wrong - II Tim 3:16
It confirms the right - John 8:31
It comforts the heart - Psalm 119:50
It is a stethescope, for it probes within
It is a microscope for it looks upon
It is a telescope for it sees beyond
You should read it - Col 3:16
You should heed it - Psalm 119:9
You should seed it - Matt 28:19-20
You should desire it - I Peter 2:2
Rightly divide it - II Tim 2:15
You should live by it - Matt 4:4
You should use it - Eph 6:17
You should suffer for it and if need be die for it - Rev 1:9
and praise God, David, You should PREACH it - II Tim 4:2
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
1. What =
a. Preach - herald, with authority to be listened to and obeyed.
b. The Word - Jn 1:1 - Christ
2. When =
a. instant - present - to be at hand
a. in season - opportune, convenient, popular
b. and out - unseasonable, not popular
3. Why =
a. Reprove - admonish, show what is wrong heresies
b. Rebuke - admonish of sin
c. Exhort - call to ones side, encourage
4. How =
a. Longsuffering - patience, endurance, forebearance
b. Doctrine - instructive, teaching, profitable
Happy Birthday
Today I have the privilege of celebrating the birthday of my precious wife. She is my hero. When I first met her and asked her out, she told me she would go but our first date would be at Whitfield Baptist Church on Sunday morning. That began the greatest journey of any man’s life. I was called to preach in that church, worked on staff there for almost eight years and, now, am sent out of that church. Pastor Cofield is a great friend and I have many wonderful memories. I am in the ministry today because of the good grace of God and a young lady who remained faithful to God.
Thank you Stacey for being you. Thank you for loving a high strung, hyper active preacher. Thank you for never complaining as I travel and you are alone with the children. Thank you for praying for me and calling me your favorite preacher. My heart is so full of gratitude and love for you. If I had a thousand lives, I would give them all to you. You are the greatest wife any man could ever ask for. Happy birthday and I love you.
By the way, for those wondering, she turned 29 today:)
Bro. Tony
Travis and Jessica Baker
Please pray for Bro. Travis and his dear family as they head to North Dakota. God has used Bro. Travis greatly on deputation and I know will use him greatly in North Dakota. He is on the way as you read this with his dear family. Pray that they would have traveling mercies and that God would touch a band of men to gather around Bro. Travis as he wins souls and plants churches.
We love you Bro. Travis and thank God for your friendship.
Bro. Tony