It is great to see all that God is doing. I am so very proud of all of you and your willingness to work for the cause and person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Keep up the good work!
Sunday, June 29th the North American, Europe, Caribbean World Evangelism Committee met for the first time. The members of this committee met to receive information about the purpose of our group.
We started with reviewing the missionaries that are our responsibility:
Wayne Cooke (Church Planter in Middletown, NY)
Jerry Nye (Director of the Caribbean for Macedonia World Baptist Missions)
Ronald Tubillas (Spanish People in America)
Tony Howeth (Deputation Director for Macedonia World Baptist Missions)
Rene Freret (President of Beams Bible International)
David Young (Director of Antioch Printing Ministry)
Travis Snode (Missionary Pastor of Northwest Baptist Church in Northern Ireland)
We outlined the privilege and responsibility we have as member of this W.E.C. Committee. This list is not exhaustive but our 4 areas of ministry that we want to stay focused on.
Create awareness for our missionaries and countries we represent.
- Providing articles for the materials produced internally in our church.
- Displays around the church to keep the church informed about our missionaries.
- Provide an emphasis in our missions conference for our section of the world.
Communicate with the missionaries.
- Read the correspondence from our missionaries.
- Provide information for our missionaries to keep them updated on what we are doing.
Consider opportunities for our church to make an impact in this part of the world.
- Gather information about the major cities and ministries in our area of the world.
- Provide the information to the Executive World Evangelism Committee
Catalyst for future missionaries from our church to these part of the world.
- Pray that God will send people from our church to our section of the world.
- Provide opportunities for short term missions trips to this area.
We will be meeting again on the first Sunday of August. I am very thankful for the desire and willingness of the members of our church to take responsibility for the most important part of our church - the mission of God’s church.
Well, I am still sitting in the hospital. Yesterday they did a bronchoscopy on my right lung. That’s where they go down there with some lights, a camera, and some tiny tools to cut away at the mucus plug they THOUGHT was in my bronchial tube. Well, when they got down there they found that there IS actually a little mucus but the real problem is that the scar tissue from the previous surgery had completely closed off the main bronchial tube leading to my lower lobe. They can’t “break through” that. They have to cut it out surgically.
So since noon yesterday, now it is noon again, I have been waiting to see the surgeon JUST so he can tell me when he will perform the operation called a “rigid bronchoscopy” and how long the delay will be until I can return to Africa. I am not waiting on him to “do” the procedure but just “tell me” WHEN he will do it. That’s it! Then I get to go home! I asked yesterday why he can’t just CALL me and tell me when he’s going to do it and noooooo. They promised me that would delay the process and just NOT the way things are done. If you can’t tell, I am about to kill somebody and hop on a plane bound for Africa.
PLEASE pray for God to give me patience in this experience as I know He never makes mistakes. I am learning II Cor 12:8-9.
Check out this post about what people in churches are believing! I hope you know that the truth will be taught in Vision Baptist.
Orginally published on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 7:01 AM
by Todd Rhoades
A recent article in USA Today says that religion in the United States is now a “salad bar” where people “heap on upbeat beliefs they like and often leave the veggies — like strict doctrines — behind.”
For example, 92 percent of the Americans surveyed said they believe in God, and 58 percent say they pray every day. And while 74 percent of people believe there is a heaven, just 59 percent believe there is a hell. And 70 percent of those polled said that they believe “many religions can lead to eternal life.”
Those are some pretty startling statistics.
As pastors and church leaders, great is the burden on us to spiritually advise, teach, and admonish those under our care. The Bible speaks specifically about how we’ll be judged on our faithfulness in doing so.
How would the people your church answer this survey:
1. Do you believe in God?
2. Do you pray every day?
3. Do you believe in heaven?
4. Do you believe in hell?
5. Do you believe a person can get to heaven outside of Christ?
I would hope that each of our churches would do much better than this national survey implies they would.
Take a few minutes to think about the implications of this for your church, and those you to whom you minister. Are you being clear in what you teach? And are the people under your care growing in their understand of what it means to be a believer?
So, is your church a salad bar, or more of a source of nourishing protein?
Mark sent out the following letter to the South American World Evangelism Committee. Read and pray! Also get involved giving, praying, and working with a group just like this one is. We have place where you can begin serving right now!
We had a great fellowship time with Curtis and Debra Couch this afternoon. I appreciate Amy and Whitney for preparing the food for lunch. It was excellent ladies.
I want to send out the prayer request that Bro. Curtis shared with all of us:
1. Land for the church in Iquique, Chile. It is probably going to cost around $160,000.
2. Land for the church in Mamina. A pentecostal lady has offered to give them a piece of land if they can get it transferred into their name. There is a problem with some squatters on the land right now I believe.
3. A van for their ministry. They have a 1991 thirteen passenger van they can take back to Chile with them but they are not sure that’s the Lord’s will. They ask for wisdom and guidance from the Lord in that situation.
4. Laborers. Pray the Lord will raise up more laborers to help them reach Iquique and Chile with the gospel.
We will also be meeting soon to go over plans for our mission’s trip next year. I am hoping the country of Chile will be part of those plans.
The following is the report from our South American World Evangelism Committee. If you are not part of one of these groups then I invite you to get with someone and get to be part of a group that is getting very involved in World Evangelism.
This past Sunday the South America World Evangelism Committee had it’s first meeting. We had six people in attendance with five others letting me know they wouldn’t be able to attend that specific meeting but want to be a part. I was able to go over the purpose of our committee of raising prayer support, financial support, and better communication with our missionaries. I introduced them to all the families on our team and encouraged them to contact each of them at least once a month. I also set up an email ring and emailed the contact information and fotos of each of our missionaries. We are really going to focus on the ladies contacting the ladies each month and the men contacting the men.
A mission trip for next summer is already in the works to visit a few of our missionaries. We will probably be going to Bolivia and Chile; Bolivia and Argentina; or Argentina and Chile. This coming month we will be decorating part of a wall that will educate our church people more about South America and our missionaries represented there.
We also made preparation for taking care of the Curtis Couch family, who preached in the services today. We had a great lunch with he and his wife. Please be praying for them as the are in need of land for both of their churches in Chile and for a van they need for the ministry. They are also praying the Lord will send me laborers to help them reach Iquique and Chile with the Gospel.
This is an update from our friend’s blog. Please be praying for him. This is very difficult for him.
Thanks to everyone for praying for me. I was checked into the hospital on Friday and here I still sit. At first they thought I had a Pleural Effussion (infection in the lung wall) then they thought I had a mucus buildup in my bronchial tube causing a Adalectasis (lung collapse). Today when the doctor performed the bronchoscopy they found the real cause: scare tissue from my surgery had blocked my main lung bronchial. So they have to cut it out surgically. I don’t know yet when they’ll do that. The doctor alluded to the idea that it would take me a month to have this surgery and recover from it.
So I at this very moment am in inner anguish. I soooooo wish to be back in North Africa in the work. I don’t cry much but my heart is crying. At the very same time I KNOW that my God is in EVERYTHING in my life. He knows me. He loves me. And he is doing that thing that will work together for His glory and my good.
What is helping me now is to read a book a friend gave me called, “A Path Not Lined With Roses”. It’s the auto-boigraphy of the life of Peter Rumachik and his family. Peter was a Pastor in Russia during the persecution. SOme of the stories of persecution is incredible. It is amazing what they went through for the cause of Christ. But so much more amazing than their persecution were their attitudes through it all. They continued witnessing, planting churches, and loving their persecutors. All in all he spent 20 years in prison while having a wife and kids. God is building people’s faith through extreme difficulties. Mine hasn’t even yet reached that off so many other. If you’re ever going through a rough time read this book and quit feeling sorry for yourself.
I got a phone call from Dean Hamby giving me the details on Pastor Moore’s funeral. There will be a viewing from 7 to 9 this evening, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 tomorrow. All this will take place at the Flanigan Funeral Home.
With the home going of Pastor McHoyt Moore on my mind I wanted to share a couple of thoughts with the congregation of Vision Baptist Church.
Are you ready to die? I can think of no greater question. It is going to happen to all of us and sooner than we think. It seems that we are always shocked when someone dies but that is the natural order of things.
We have many promises that I hope are yours also. Did you know that we are not to sorry as those that have no hope–we have hope in Jesus Christ!
I Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Did you know that God the Father takes pleasure in the death of His saints as we leave this world and go to be with Him! According to Scripture our death is precious in His eyes!
Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Did you know that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked or those that have not repented of their sins!?
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
My question and my concern is this: Do you know that you have repented of your sins and placed your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Is there evidence of the transforming grace of God in your life? Will your family be comforted in your time of death because they know that you indeed are saved and going to Heaven?
I am afraid that many of us are talking like and acting like we are believers but are not truly born again. I am afraid that we are not ready to die. I desperately want to help you know and be ready. If you are not get with someone today that can take the Bible and show you how to place your faith and trust in Christ.
