I am excited today as we celebrate our freedom. I thank God for all those that have done so much to gain our liberty and to maintain it. My dad, brother, and uncles all served in the military. The uncle that I am named for died in the service of our country. I love the United States of America. I thank God for the privilege of being born here and serving God here.

I am even more thankful for the freedom that I have in Christ Jesus. We, as Americans, have many freedoms but none so precious as the freedom from sin, death, and Hell. You say we will die but according to Jesus we will not really die. John 11:26 We are free from the penalty of sin and death has lost its power.

Today we begin preaching through the book of Ephesians. I am really excited about this wonderful book that deals with all that we have in Christ Jesus. You are going to love it.

The message today is on Saints and Faithful and that is what we are because of the work that Jesus has done in us. You will be thrilled as you learn all that God has done for you through Jesus Christ!

Thanks for all you do and thanks for being here today. God bless each of you.

Austin

Matthew 26:70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

We all know the story of Peter and how he denies the Lord Jesus Christ three times. It was a very scary time. Had he not of denied Jesus he may have had to pay with his life. He might have been arrested or even worse.

I think that we have all been pretty quick over the years to point out Peter’s failure but as I read today I asked myself the question, What does it take to make me deny Him? I have never been in a position that endangered my life or even possessions. I have never really been afraid of physical harm because of my faith.

Peter was! But can I say that in certain ways we have all denied our faith. We have been guilty of not mentioning Jesus when we had the perfect open door. We ask for open doors in prayer and then ignore them.

The Holy Spirit set us up! There it was, a perfect chance to witness of the Lord Jesus Christ but we took the chicken’s way out. We ran for the door. No we didn’t say that we never knew Him but we didn’t acknowledge knowing Him when we had the chance.

Some how we have separated our knowledge of Christ from the workplace, the play place, and even the family. Jesus and Church are for Sundays. No need to take Sunday into Monday!

So the question comes, What does it take to make us deny Him? It isn’t really danger. It isn’t really getting hurt. It is more a losing of our comfort. If they knew that we were confident followers of Jesus Christ then they would have a different opinion of us.

We would rather they just think that we are good moral people. No need to bring Jesus into this discussion! I am just a good ole hard working boy. Been lucky too! Smarter than most!

Not that God has done great things in my life. Not that I have followed Biblical principles. Wouldn’t want to risk anyone thinking that I am a religious fanatic or nut!

What do you think?

We finished a great month with directing and serving at the Our Generation Student Leadership Camp being one of the highlights. It was an exciting week where we were able to challenge students to be willing to give their lives to take the Gospel to the world. One of our goals was to show these students the world from Atlanta, GA, so throughout the camp, we visited a Greek Orthodox Church, Mormon Temple, Buddhist Temple, 2 Hindu Temples, and a Muslim Mosque. We also had an outreach activity during the week in an apartment complex that was filled with refugees from many different nations around the world. (Find out more information at www.ogcamp.info). It was both convicting and heart breaking to learn about and speak to those who believe so strongly in these false religions.

Also, the most exciting news of the week, we had 2 saved! Praise the Lord! Natasha had the privilege of leading one of the ladies to the Lord after giving her testimony in one of the workshops!

June in Review

* June was our sixth month on full-time deputation.
* We were able to be in 10 churches total.
* We were able to work in a 5 day missions camp, The Our Generation Student Leadership Camp, June 15 – 19 (www.ogcamp.info).
* We added 4 new supporters this month!
* We are currently at 39.25% of our support…just shy of 40%!
* We traveled 4,172 miles within 4 states: NC, FL, GA, & WI.

Recent Praise: We were able to safely complete another month of traveling on deputation. We try to never take that for granted!

Prayer Request: At the end of this month, we we will be downsizing and moving out of our house that we have been living in for two years. Pray that everything will go smoothly as we move into a basement apartment.

Thank you for being a part of our team, Project China, with your prayer and financial support!

In Christ,
Mark Tolson

Matthew 25:24-25 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

I have been like this man in more ways than one and I think you might have had the problem also. How many times have we felt that God was unfair with us. He hasn’t blessed me like He blessed the other person. He didn’t gift me like He did the other person.

Instead of using my one talent to the best of my ability I get mad that I didn’t get five talents or even two. I start making excuses right from the start. Since I am not like the other person then it is not my fault if I can not produce.

God gave the other guy more talents to use in business, in ministry, and in every way! That simply isn’t fair. I would give if He had blessed me like He did the other fellow! But since He is so hard I will use my money for myself.

I would serve in the church but I am not as gifted or as well liked and respected as the other guy so I will just sit on my talent. All they want me to do is keep the nursery anyway. That is not important and so I just will not do anything.

God has allowed that missionary to raise more money, have a bigger work, than He has me. So I will just coast and blame God. After all He decided not to bless me.

God, I want you to forgive me for my bad attitudes. I want to serve you. I want to be used of you. I know that I may not have what others have but I can use what I have. I have been guilty of whining and complaining. I have been guilty of comparing and justifying myself. I repent and ask you to use me with what you gave me to your honor and glory.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

She just needs some “me time!” He knows lots of Bible but is just tired of church! They used to be very faithful Christians and never missed church services. They used to be believers. They are not interested any more! This church isn’t their style. They want more music and less Bible preaching!

We have all heard it all! You know as well as I do that many people who say they are Christians have grown cold. They “used to” do lots of things.

They say that the church is old and that it is not meeting their needs. They say that the Bible doesn’t apply to life in 2009.

Jesus said that their love had grown cold because iniquity or sin was on every side. Today, I think you need to analyze why you don’t love Jesus like you used to love Him. I ask you to consider why attending church, being involved serving Christ, reading your Bible every day etc. is not as important as it used to be.

Who changed? Was it God? Was it the church? Was it the Bible? Or can we be honest and just say that sin became more and more important to you? Would it be fair to say that other “loves” just become more important than your love for Jesus Christ?

By the way the principal sin that would cause us to grow cold in our love for God would be loving self! We look for what pleases us rather than what pleases God.

God just doesn’t fit my schedule right now! I do love Him but just don’t have time. As soon as I finish these things I will have more time for God and the things that please Him!

Love is growing cold but can we be honest and quit blaming others and just realize that sin abounds in our lives?

So many distractions that we do not have time to love God. So many “me things” to do that we do not have time for “Him things!”

At least today ought to be a day that we consider what is happening in our lives. Has your love grown cold? Why?

“No matter where you go or what you do as a missionary you will need training in order to survive and to serve well.”

“Specific training should be sought to meet specific ministry goals.”

“Seek equipping/training that will shape you in three major areas: character, skills, and knowledge. The classroom is a good place to start but it won’t cover everything.” It is highly suggested that you get a mentor or a spiritual and professional advisor in the area of life that you wish to work. You should also be very closely associated with your pastor.

“Character dimensions include personal life with God, spiritual disciplines, self discipline, emotional and spiritual maturity, moral purity, personal and family wholeness, servant attitude, teachable, adaptable, compassionate, spiritual gifting. Skill/competency dimensions include relational abilities, evangelism and discipleship, church planting and development, language and culture learning, communication aptitudes, leadership‑followership facility, practical talents, professional/vocational expertise. Knowledge dimensions include Biblical and theological truth, culture, communication and language, leadership‑followership development, ministry and missions, global partnership, human personality and health, professional/occupational issues.”

There are no shortcuts to mission work. You must prepare yourself and the more you wish to do the more you should prepare yourself. “Missions work is tough. But those who are well prepared will stick it out and see God at work. Heaven will be full of worshipers of the Lamb who are there because someone crossed geographical, linguistic, and cultural barriers to present the powerful, supernatural message of the living Lord Jesus Christ.”

Another article stated the following: “The New Testament prescription for leadership, as laid out in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, list 22 characteristics of Biblical leaders. All but one of these characteristics‑ the ability to teach‑‑deal with character qualities, not ministry skills.”

How are you doing on your Bible reading plan?

So far this year are you on schedule in your plan for giving to and supporting the work of God?

How are you doing on your personal plan of managing the resources that God has put in your hands?

What have you done this year to strengthen your relationship with your spouse? Your children?

What have you done this year to grow spiritually?

What have you done to get the gospel to others?

Life is short! It is flying by! If we are not careful we will wake up and find out that we wasted our life! I challenge you to reevaluate what you are doing. Hit the reset button if you need to.

Let’s use this last half to finish well!

Matthew 23:5-12 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

So much is wrong in Christianity. Jesus told us that to be leaders we needed to humble ourselves. He told us that we needed to serve to lead yet in our churches there is much of the same thing that goes on here in the lives of the Pharisees.

We do many things just to be seen of men! It isn’t real it is show! Matthew 23:5

We love to be called by our titles and recognized as big men every where we go! Matthew 23:6-7.

Jesus had a very negative attitude about the whole title thing. Matthew 23:8-10.

We think that the more people that follow us or the more that serve us the greater we are. Jesus said the total opposite. A friend recently died. He was a pastor. Just a regular man pastoring a church of 100. Around 1000 came to his funeral and memorial service combined. He only pastored a hundred people but he really pastored a town.

His church was located in a town of only about 300. He served many. God help me to be that kind of leader.

Real leadership is based on humility. That means that no one might remember my name or recognize me. That means that I might not get the credit for what I did or said and that is very important to me.

Real leadership will be on me serving and meeting the needs of others. That would mean a sacrificing of my needs to meet the needs of others.

The apostle Paul was used of God to say: 2Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

So let’s give our lives for others. Let’s serve them and love them no matter how they treat us. Let’s be givers and not takers. Let’s turn the other cheek and be wronged gladly.

We serve best by being nothing.

I just arrived back home after leading Victory Baptist Church from Ruffin, NC to Arequipa and back. I had a great time with Pastor Scott Hefner and his people. On Monday I drove up to meet them in Charlotte, NC and from there flew to Miami and then to Lima. Tuesday we had a great time visiting the Efata Deaf Ministry and missionaries Joe and Lisa Kotvas. The Lord is truly blessing their ministry in Lima. From there we went to Arequipa were our ministry of the Peru Baptist College is based.

Our group had the opportunity to see the Bible College and many of the churches in Arequipa. I appreciate their work through the week also. In total we passed out about 10,000 tracts and invitations.

On July 6th, Amy and I both will be leading another group to Peru. We are looking forward to spending time with Pastor Derik Lawrence and the folks from Victory Baptist Church in Loganville, Ga. Please pray all goes well. If everything works out well, we will be aiding in starting a new church close to one of the largest universities in the city. I am excited about this opportunity.

I want to invite you to be a part of of one of our Peru Mission Trips in October or next year. I will be leading a group along with my pastor, Austin Gardner to Peru from October 5th to 12th. I have around 15 slots open if you are interested in being part of the team. You can also be part of one of my trips next summer. Just call or email if you are interested.

The Our Generation Camp went great this year. We had a great group of young people who are interested in getting the gospel to the world. We also had two people saved and four people who got assurance of their salvation.

We are now gearing up for the Our Generation Summit at the end of the year. Mark you calendars now for December 31 – January 2. It is a great time to be challenged for world evangelism. It’s also a great winter retreat for the family.

Please be praying for the Peru Baptist College. We are still in great need of monthly support. We don’t have any room to complain even though times my get tough. I just want to thank God for all He has done. He has got us through every single month even with huge deficits starting out. If you are interested in helping please let me know or if you know someone who is interested in helping please let me know.

I want to thank all the people that have been praying for me and my family. Without prayer I don’t know how we would make it. Thank you also for the financial support. We are still in the process of raising support for ourselves so if you would be interested in being a partner in our ministry, we would be privileged.

Here to serve.

Mark, Amy, Emilee, and Luke Coffey and Tyler and Chase

“A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.”

Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to the Congo

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