Baptists Committed to World Evangelism

Can you imagine spending long, exhausting days plowing and preparing a vast  field?  Can you imagine then carefully planting your crops and waiting for weeks to see that crop begin to sprout and grow ever so steadily?  See yourself pulling weeds, keeping away the birds and small animals that would love to feast on the tender new shoots.  As the heated summer days give way to the cool fall, you know harvest time is nearing.

Several of the young men from our ministry in Chile will be traveling this week to Arequipa, Peru to attend their annual Pastor’s School. It’s exciting to see Peruvian pastors training Chilean pastors for the work of the ministry. There is great potencial for the Latin American churches to prepare and send their own laborers around the world. As I heard this week a stirring report from my good friend Trent Cornwell about the overwhelming needs in India, I asked God to raise up Chileans to take the gospel to the Indians

I think sometimes I take it for granted that everyone knows what deputation is like because I grew up around it. Sometimes I am shocked when people ask me things like, “What do you do with all your time?”, and “So is deputation essentially like a 2 year vacation?” First off, let me say that I have no desire to complain about deputation. It’s been GREAT: We have been so privileged to visit wonderful churches, make friends and ministry partners, minister to God’s people, encourage people to love and get involved in God’s global plan of redemption, and see people saved (one last night, praise God!). I am not “suffering for Jesus”, I GET to do this. However, on the other hand, deputation is WORK, just like every ministry ought to be.

This past Thursday was one of the most special nights of my life as Vision Baptist Church ordained me to preach the Gospel. Here are some things I am immensely thankful for: The Gospel! As much as this night meant to me, ultimately it was not ABOUT me: it is about God’s amazing redemptive purpose in the world. It’s easy sometimes to get numb to how earth-shattering the gospel, but I was reminded again of how amazing God’s grace is. God called me by the Gospel to know Him and be reconciled to Him, and His grace just continues in letting me preach it to others

Dear Pastor and Friends: These past few weeks have been really exciting at IB Omega. Two Sundays ago we were able to see three men saved! Last Sunday we had an awesome service and afterward a Church potluck, with 126 in attendance! We had more than 20 first time visitors last month , and one young couple join our membership. God is so good! We are so grateful that God allows us to have a small part.

Dear Pastor and Friends: These past few weeks have been really exciting at IB Omega. Two Sundays ago we were able to see three men saved! Last Sunday we had an awesome service and afterward a Church potluck, with 126 in attendance! We had more than 20 first time visitors last month , and one young couple join our membership. God is so good! We are so grateful that God allows us to have a small part. God is also answering another prayer request.

2 Corinthians 6:3-10 “Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Paul as very concerned with how he conducted himself as a preacher and a minister.  He did not want to cause offence in any thing.  He was careful to do nothing that would cause people to look down on the ministry.  He worked to make sure he could be approved in all things as a faithful minister of God.  Notice all the areas that he worked hard to give no offence in: In much patience In afflictions In necessities In distresses In stripes In imprisonments In tumults In labours In watchings In fastings Notice the attitudes that Paul strived to have in the midst of whatever he was going through: By pureness By knowledge By longsuffering By kindness By the Holy Ghost By love unfeigned By the word of truth By the power of God By the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left He worked to do right and have exemplary behaviour regardless what was happening: By honour and dishonour By evil report and good report As deceivers, and yet truth As unknown, and yet well known As dying, and behold, we live As chastened, and not killed As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing As poor, yet making many rich As having nothing, and yet possessing all things What a list!  How are we doing as preachers of the gospel?

Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul was giving some final words of encouragement to the Ephesian elders prior to his departure to Jerusalem.  He tells them that that he is uncertain about what is going to happen to him in Jerusalem, but, in every city to which he goes, the Holy Ghost is witnessing that bonds and afflictions await him. Even though Paul has been through much persecution and even though he is quite certain that he is headed into much more affliction, he says several remarkable things: None of these things move me. Paul was not going to be moved or affected by the trials and afflication that he was about to face.

Acts 2:14 “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you and hearken to my words:” There is no doubt that when Peter stood up to preach on the day of Pentecost that he was filled with the Spirit.  Acts 2:4 says, “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”  There are many sermons that we could look at in Scripture, but I read this one by Peter today and just wanted to make some observations about his message: His introduction connected with the listener (2:14-15). Peter stood up and addressed the “men of Judaea” and explained what they had just seen and heard.  The  people had just heard the believers speak with other tongues (languages), so that, miraculously, the Jews from all over the world who were gathered there could hear the wonderful works of God in their own language.  When we preach, we want to introduce our subject in such a way that it connects with our listeners and grabs their attention.

The following article is taken from  Soeren Kern , writer for Hudson NY.  Please take the time to read this, this is shocking stuff about Spain. Islam is growing at a much more rapid pace than Evangelical Christianity , and there is a reason! Muslim people are passionate about spreading their belief system, and their passion means that they are willing to sacrifice their time, their energy, their money, and even their lives to that end. What if we looked at a country where nearly 99% of the population either reject the Gospel, or more likely have NEVER HEARD it, and that sparked a passion to see Christ lifted up there? What if there was a holy discontent at 47 million people who worship wealth, success, Mohammed, the Virgin Mary….. everything but Jesus Christ