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TELL THE EARTH

As our team opened the prayer time last evening, Randy referred to Psalm 67 as it contains one of the sweetest expressions of universal worship of any Scriptures.  “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (67:3).  This verse is repeated in verse 5 and the whole Psalm expresses a longing that God’s “ways may be known on earth….and saving power among all nations” so that “all the ends of the earth fear Him” (2, 7).

Though we are not certain of the human author, it is certain that the divine author, the Holy Spirit, reveals over and over that God is going to receive praise from all nations.  This is one of the central themes of Scripture that drives NFI.

Two prophets make this truth clear in other statements.  “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).  “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14).

This could happen without activity on our part, making God’s choice of us, the Church, so very important that we cooperate with Him in getting His message to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).  Will we take up such a glorious privilege and carry the message to the unreached?

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TRANSPORTING VALUABLES

As we work with many different languages, people groups, and cultures, we encounter just as many ways our partners are getting training materials (books), banners, and themselves to places where the training needs to take place.

Think for a moment of the Apostle Paul. He traveled on three missionary journeys about 8,000 miles or over 12,000 kilometers. Do you know of anyone today that is making that kind of progress and impact? Paul had no motorbikes, cars, planes, or electronic equipment. Therefore, it would be difficult to find any better model than the Early Church and the Apostle Paul in the work of establishing growing and expanding churches.

Yet, there is a growing number of those who are sacrificing everything necessary to bring the gospel and God’s Word to people who have never heard and to believers and churches that need strengthening and encouragement so they can stand strong in the Gospel of Pure Grace. You and I may not be able to physically join them, but we can pray for a movement of God through their sacrificial work.

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FAITH-FILLED MISSIONS

While there are many examples I could pull from, I have chosen John Day (1797 to 1859) who was passionate about the salvation of African people. This area of the world has been our focus for many years, particularly for Randy, Pat, and most recently Tom. Consider Day’s attitude toward his life and work.

“Sadly, for Day, his earthly time of training young men called and qualified to preach the gospel was prematurely ended by an apparent seizure while delivering a sermon on February 15, 1859, at Monrovia’s Providence Baptist Church.

Day’s missionary service ended with the clear conviction that his mission…was being successfully fulfilled. “The natives are becoming more and more enlightened, see more clearly that God controls the affairs of men, and that they are accountable to him and must appear before his righteous bar.”

This understanding gave Day the strength to go forward despite the death of two wives and several children and enduring wars between the natives and colonists. He died assured in his call, trusting in a present, all-powerful God.” (Jim Berwick, 2018)

Are we involved in missions with this assurance that God is in complete control and that we can trust Him no matter what happens and under any circumstances?

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SOUTH ASIA

As Randy and Jonathan head to Pakistan, they are hopeful and prayerful.  The challenges there are unique because of the diverse culture and political /religious environment.  Please keep them in your prayers during the dates below.
 
    June 14 – Randy meets up with Jonathan in Dubai and together they begin their second trip to this country.
 
    June 15-17 Sialkot – This is a graduation of GPHD that we introduced last time.  Pray that the pastors and young people will use this discipleship plan to make many strong in their faith.  Also pray that a prayer movement might begin, like that of John, “Praying Hyde” who lived and ministered here in the 1800’s and for S., a key leader of a church-planting movement here.
 
    June 18-22 Islamabad – In this new work, Jonathan and Randy have the opportunity to develop 20 young leaders from a region near the Afghanistan border.  These young people have recently come to Christ and have opportunities to not only reach others in this area, but also to bring the gospel to Afghans.  This is a very difficult and dangerous mission field so let us pray that their faith will be firmly established in Christ and His Word, and that the Holy Spirit will empower & guide them to make disciples among the least reached unreached of northern Pakistan and the country of Afghanistan.  Please pray for V., the one who is discipling them.
 
    June 22-23 Travel Home – they will need time to reflect and rest.  “And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat” (Mark 6:31).

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WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH TRUTH?

In this blog, I come back to the subject of “truth.”  There is so much evidence around us that very few people care about truth and where to find it.  One of the saddest moments in history was when Jesus stood before Pilate who asked Him, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).  What makes this so sad is that Pilate failed to wait for the answer, particularly when Pilate had the person who is “the Truth” standing before him.  Like Pilate, many seek truth in the wrong places.

Why do people avoid the truth?  Truth will expose our words, actions, and motives that do not measure up to God’s standard.  It confronts us in such a way that our sin is exposed and we are required to make things right with the Lord first, and then with others.

If we are seeking to be governed by truth, it will require that we speak the truth to others.  How we do this is very important.  Paul says to the believers at Ephesus, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).  Notice there are two imperatives in this verse.

  1. The way we speak truth to others must be done in love.  That means I want the good of the other person, not just their correction.  
  2. Spiritual growth must be the goal of speaking truth.  This spiritual growth is in view of becoming more like Christ in every aspect of our lives.

How are we doing with this exhortation from Paul?  Are we first willing to let truth expose failure in ourselves before we use it to help others?

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