Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Global Harvest
Editor: Wayne Barrier Founding Editor: J.C. Choate (deceased) Associate Editor, Design, Layout: Betty Burton Choate Publishers: World Evangelism Publications for Churches of Christ
are neither solicited nor paid for by the ones doing that particular work. We give them coverage because we believe in what they are doing, and we are convinced that their service can be of great help to you in your work with God. Contact them! (2) Recently a call from a Christian in a mission area of the States relayed this message: I was so encouraged by reading Global Harvest! The church here is small, and I had no idea that so much work is being done in so many places! (3) We want to encourage a realization of church family worldwide, as we help you to know brothers and sisters in many parts of the world. Let us be praying for each other!
isclaimer: We believe that we must answer to God for what we teach and promote. It is our purpose to be biblical in all that we do and, to the best of our knowledge, we will not promote in these pages the work of unsound brethren. Because we cannot personally know all that anyone believes and teaches, we ask your help in guarding against unknowingly publicizing those who are either liberal or fanatical. If such material is inadvertantly printed, we ask your understanding
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e invite submission of feature and report articles from biblically-sound brethren, along with colored photographs, for inclusion in future issues of Global Harvest.
and cooperation.
Global Harvest
Volume 6
Fall, 2011
Table of Contents
Editorials
A Chosen Generation................Wayne Barrier.............6 The Tragedy of Apostasy............J.C. Choate.................7
Articles
A Little Quiz from the Pages........................................4 Do You Want to Be Free?.......Betty B. Choate...............5 Cover Article: Looking for Gideon....Betty B. Choate...8 Do You Want to Leave a Legacy ...?..........................15 Introducing Our Western Gideon...Justin Hopkins...16 The Forgotten Tool...............Betty B. Choate...............83 Component Parts for Into Gods World ..............84
Operation French World........Bren White....................38 World Outreach French.........Barry Baggott...............39 The Word ... in Valcea, Romania...Harvey Starling....44 Lyon, France..............Charles O. White........................45 Syktyvkar Bible School...............Larry Little..............46
Europe
Africa
Report from Christian Todego............Ed Jones..........47 Boot Camp for Soldiers of the Cross......Al Horne.....48 Count It All Joy......................Ruth Orr....................49 A Tornado in Nigeria................Ron Pottberg..............50 In Search of Truth Radio Program.....James Jones.....51 Gardens/Mini-Farms Network....Ken Hargesheimer..51 The Malawi Project.............Richard Stephens............52 The Heart of Zimbabwe............Loy Mitchell.............53 Sakubva Church of Christ...Champion Mugweni......54 A Whirlwind Mission Trip!.........Brent Smith.............55 African Christian Schools..........Trent Wheeler..........56 Drought, Death, and Rescue..........David Marube.......57 Churches in French Africa............Doyle Kee.............58 East London, South Africa..........Chris du Preez.........59 Open Air Preaching..........Sylvester Imogoh................60
Indian Sub-Continent
Developments in Pakistan.............Asghar Ali.............62 NIBC Graduation...................Earnest Gill...................63 Between India and Sri Lanka....Asveeradam Darla....64 Orphans.......................Don Iverson..............................65 Continuing Work in South India.......S. Rajanayagam......67 Cyclone in Puducherry, India......Kingsly Rajah........68 New Delhi, India......................Sunny David........................68 India Harvest...................Ricky Gootam......................69 Purpose and Vision ................David Nance.................70
Asia
The Year in Myanmar...........Philip Biak Lian............71 Update on Viet Nam..............Jeremy Barrier...............72 News from Around Indonesia......Colin McKee..................73 Earthquake Damage in Philippines.......Luis Cusi......74 Missing Link in the Philippines....Prissy Sellers.....76 Boxes of Books....................Salvador Cariaga..............77 Recovery from Earthquake...........Dwight Albright......78 Update on pacic Broadcast..........Randy English.......79 Word from the Pacic Islands........Robert Martin........80 The Kent ODonnells in New Zealand...Kent ODonnell..81 Gods Warnings and Promises.....Betty B. Choate.....82
North America
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training schools? (a common thread throughout the reports) 10. What unusual thing happened in Nigeria? P. 49, 50 11. What kind of irrigation is taught to farmers in dry regions of the world? P. 51 12. Describe the widows home on page 52. 13. What is needed in Zimbabwe and in many other places? P. 53 14. Was David Marubes trip to the refugee camp a vacation? P. 57 15. How was Aseervadam Darlas father converted from Hinduism to the truth? P. 64,65 16. Is there much difference between your life and that of orphans in India? P. 65 17. Are Christians in danger in places in the world?
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In order to make Global Harvest the informative, useful, and inspiring magazine we envision, we must have input from brethren, churches, and program projects throughout the brotherhood and all over the world. We will try to make you aware of services available and of needs you might help to cover.
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Wayne Barrier has been a partner in the World Evangelism program since the mid-80s.
The apostle Peter described the people of God as a chosen generation. This description is included with other names for Christians that include, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people. The passage, 1 Peter 2:9-10 is as follows, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. This passage reminds us of the wonderful gifts of Gods mercy, love, and grace. He gave His son for our redemption and salvation. We will never be worthy of this gift. Gods love and mercy exceeds our comprehension and we are blessed beyond understanding. How should we respond to this status with God? Peter says that we should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. The list of ways to proclaim the praises of Him who call us out of darkness
is long, and it ranges from the way we worship to the way we respond to calls to work and service. Typically, we focus on the end of this spectrum that involves worship and prayer. This response is appropriate and essential. We should have a driving desire to express our thanks and appreciation to God in our prayers, worship, verbal proclamations of our feelings, etc. Our faith and trust in God can be powerfully proclaimed in this manner. This will result in an attitude of humility, desire to please, love for God, appreciation, respect for God, and comprehension of His sacrice to save us. The other end of the spectrum involves service and work. The apostle Paul describes Gods children in Titus 1:14 in a similar way and states that the response to being Gods special person is to be zealous for good works. As Gods people, we should be eager and excited to do good works. These works include teaching the lost about Gods will for every person to obey Him. In fact, this is the most important response we can have to understanding our relationship with God. He loves every person and desires that His children teach the untaught and help them to obey the Gospel. He desires that all be saved. We must reverse the current trend and become the royal priesthood, chosen generation, and special people that is needed to be zealous for good works that show honor, thanksgiving, respect, and trust to God. Our work and service are necessary to adequately praise God. When we become the
people that God desires us to be, the results will provide us with joy, contentment, encouragement, and strength. A transition to this biblical model of a person that is pleasing to God begins with recognition that I need to change. A self inventory should follow to dene my personal appraisal of possible ways to better serve, work, and minister in the Lords church. Serious Bible study and fervent prayer should accompany every step as I move forward, to become a more effective child of God. I should then begin to work. Trial and error is a good teacher. If God is with us, our errors will not do damage, but rather serve as a basis of course correction and guidance. Success will follow, and feelings of satisfaction, joy, appreciation, and thankfulness will accompany our service. God will bless us beyond our comprehension. We will gain access to better understanding of His grace when we honestly love our neighbors enough to help them know and obey God. Everyone can share the story of Jesus with others and express love for our master and king. What a blessing to be Gods special people! Our mission to succeed in the commission to take the Gospel to every person in the world (Matthew 28:19-20) can be achieved only if we become the special people dened by Scriptures.
Wayne Barrier, living in Florence, AL, is Editor of Global Harvest.
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J.C. Choate, founder of Global Harvest, served as a missionary in Asia until his death in 2008.
Since his own rebellion against God, Satan has been leading a war. God said of his attitude, For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; ...I will be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:13,14). Satan corrupted Adam and Eve by changing only one word of Gods message to them. He went on to bring the entire population of the world to such a state of evil that washing the earth clean with the waters of the ood was the only answer to the ungodliness. When our Lord was born, Satan recognized the threat to his goals, so he tried to have Him killed in Bethlehem. Finally, on Calvary, he was sure he was being successful only to discover with the resurrection that he, himself, had been a useful instrument in making the way of salvation for all who would come to Christ in faith and obedience. Through the shedding of His blood, Christ purchased what He chose to call His church. It had its beginning on the rst Day of Pentecost after His resurrection. A clear message of good news was preached, people obeyed, and great numbers of souls began to pass through the door of His blood, in baptism, into the church.
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Yes, were looking for a strong, biblically-sound, and passionate man (and wife) to take the lead in a muchneeded work in the Lords church. Were calling him Gideon. And were looking for his 300 warriors who will work with him, and with God, to turn things around in the church.
What Do We Propose?
For Sunday Morning classes for Children
A full-color, perfect-bound lesson book, appropriate to the age level, with the lesson beginning in the childs world of problems, needs, and experiences, and then going to Gods
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Book for answers and guidance. This approach will give relevance to the Bible as the answers to all of lifes direction, rather than merely being a history book. The book will include quizzes and activities. At the end of the quarter, each child will have a beautiful book to take home and add to his growing library of Bible lesson books, which his parents can use for devotionals and reinforcement at home. Teachers manuals that will help to educate the teacher on the fundamental truths, as well as to emphasize the spiritual lessons to be stressed. Each lesson will include a full guide for songs, drills, lesson emphasis, and makeup of the class. Activity packets (individual and teachers packets) for in-class reinforcement of the lesson; visuals. Appropriate songs (not just rah-rah catchy junk, but songs that teach), memory and drill work will be stressed in each class. There will be wall displays for the lessons, as well as individual activities.
What Do We Propose?
Component Parts
Classbooks perfect-bound, full-color books for the child to keep in his permanent library. Teachers manual and visuals for the room, with training DVDs. LifeSpan weekly paper for take-home. Book of Bible Knowledge compilation of visuals for each lesson of each quarter, bound into book form, for the childs permanent library, for continual review throughout childhood. Flash cards for memory work picturized for younger children; photos from the lesson with verse on back for older children. Memory verses set to music, with accompanying CDs. Time Lines (4 levels, for Wednesday evening studies) showing biblical events, corresponding secular events in the world; secular events with providential overruling, changing the course of history. Parenting class materials for Sunday classes and for family devotionals. Daily Devotional material drills/review materials. Song books and CDs Adult, teen, juvenile. VBS guides, lessons, and pattern books, with DVDs for instructions. Bible Times Rooms with instructions for the rooms; lesson books, DVDs. Mission Learning Centers with instructions for making the rooms; lesson books, DVDs. DVDs of special adult class materials. DVDs of Holy Land experiences. Powerpoints of classes. DVDs of classes, taught by experienced teachers and made available for small churches, lacking teachers. Materials for small-group meetings, dealing especially with evangelism and other lessons in outreach and teaching. Bible Character action figures for 3-D lessons. Hands-on objects for cradle roll classes. DVDs to teach cradle roll teachers. Video games for: Memorization of verses Learning Bible facts Pauls journeys Bible timeline Into Gods World Internet website for publishing the materials (printed and DVDs), worldwide. Development of materials for churches overseas.
Additional Tools
Song books Memory verse illustrated ash cards, and verses set to music, with accompanying CDs. Take-home application/parent reinforcement sheet (Lifelines), so that the parents will be aware of what the child was learning. An achievement book (The Book of Bible Knowledge) for each child, showing what should have been learned each quarter. The pages will have designated places for stickers that will be positioned as the child learns the memory work, verse, or whatever the lesson and the quarter require. Each quarter will claim six or eight pages in the book, and the book will be taken
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home and signed by the parents at the end of the quarter. A book may be set up for two to three years, moving with the child to each promotion. These may be used by the teachers for drilling the classes on facts and memory work they should know. The aim is to be sure that, when the child has graduated from high school, he has been thoroughly taught the essential facts, doctrines, and verses in the achievement books. When each book is filled, it may be added to the library at home, as a further reinforcement tool for the parents. Ideas and patterns books for teachers to develop additional visuals of their own, if they so desire. Many wonderful visuals and 3-D materials will be developed and offered to bring the lessons to life: character action gures for sandboxes; a Noahs ark with animals to scale; costumes for role-playing various Bible lessons the possibilities are endless! DVDs will be made of lessons being taught in the classroom, and made available to small churches, in need of respite for overworked teachers. These will be added to the Into Gods World website, for use throughout the world. DVDs and books giving directions for decorating rooms as Mission Learning Centers, and for making Bible Times Rooms.
Saturday Activities
Until our young people learn to put working Christianity to effective use in their lives, they are in danger of learning only a form of godliness. This very weakness in the current situation that we teach our children but too often we are failing to train them in anything more than the fun and games activities is responsible in great part for the loss of upwards of 70% of the younger generation as they grow to adulthood. Comprehensive suggestions and directions for Saturday activities [work] for all ages will be offered. Saturday Achievement Programs for all appropriate ages, with accompanying Boy Scout type achievement books, will be designed to involve all age levels in the work they are capable of doing children, young people, and adults.
VBS Materials
Motivational VBS programs will be developed, with DVDs and lesson books.
Wednesday Classes
Two types of materials should be developed for Wednesday classes. The rst is a chronological time-line to be displayed on the wall of the classroom. Graphics illustrating various lessons will be supplied, to be attached to the time-line scroll. Along with teaching the full scope of the Scriptures would be notations of major events taking place in the world at the same time, so that the students will grow in the awareness that the events of the Bible took place in the real world, not in a vacuum or as a fairy tale. Also, there will be emphasis on events in secular history in which the providential overruling of God is evident, to achieve His purposes. The suggestion is made that three weeks of each quarter be spent on the time-line, then one week be devoted to the second type of lessons: Drills, memory work, and various types of activities and assignments. Teachers manuals and work/activity materials will be developed and provided for these classes.
Adult Studies
There will also be a planned curriculum for adult classes, with books that will continually add to the personal library at home. As with the teen materials, additional topics will be developed for alternate choices. There will continue to be the chronological time-line studies, drill and memory work, and dare we do it even for adults? the Book of Bible Knowledge
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Alternate Choices
Motivational seminars, for outreach and church growth, are planned. They will feature several dedicated speakers for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday lessons, followed by six months of further teaching and involvement training. Designed for Wednesday teen/adult classes, the program will consist of two parts: a highly motivational and educational DVD, concerning the necessity for individual Christians to be involved in outreach, and training in how to successfully approach non-Christians and to teach and convert them. There will be a lesson book, reinforcing the DVD messages and requiring involvement in the process of setting up classes with others, and actually teaching non-Christians as a part of the work assignments. Some of the class studies will involve instructions on how to open the subject of having a home study, how to teach; gaining a working knowledge of denominational doctrines, etc. all designed to equip the student to go out and evangelize.
Explore and emphasize personal commitment and involvement. Stress the necessity of evangelism and outreach by teaching and practicing. Look for opportunities to make these emphases in every Bible story, thereby creating a new perspective for viewing the familiar scriptures.
Our children must be taught from the cradle that they are special people in the world, but not of the world. In todays culture, sadly, statistics show that immodest dress, immorality, broken homes, and the gamut of the worlds sinful practices are almost as high in the church as in the population that does not claim to be Christian. How can we malign the Lords name in this way??? We must separate our children from those influences, building a barrier against them by teaching from the earliest ages that we belong to God, that we must live pure lives (setting the standard for their friends, rather than the other way around), that we are in this world to carry out Gods great purpose in our lives. Our children must learn, by our words and our lives, that prayer is a vital part of their existence, and that God still works mightily through His providential overruling in response to our prayers, needs, and purposes. We must set aflame, in the heart of every Christian, the passion for
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Then we need Christians experienced in writing, teaching, artwork, layout work, editing, proofreading, etc., who would like to volunteer to help develop these materials. You are urged to contact us at 662-283-1192 or Choate@ WorldEvangelism.org. This is not a business, as such, but a service, work that we, as Christians, must do for ourselves. Buck and Syd Davenport, exemplary Christians, have set the example for us by providing funds for the printing.
God that would enable him to choose God, even in the face of persecution and death (Revelation 2:10). Each lesson will have a definite purpose, a named goal in teaching, keeping always in mind the Gospel of Christ, its practice, and its propagation throughout the world in this generation. From the first level to the last level, we must instill the goal of being the first generation since the first century to evangelize the world, beginning with feeling responsible for the people in ones own community and family. This is the treasure God has prepared from before the foundation of the world the treasure He has committed to our care. The lessons we plan will be neither conservative nor liberal nor legalistic but, rather, biblical. They must be balanced, not a reaction to anything. If the Bible doesnt provide the authority for a belief or practice, we wont teach it. If it is a biblical doctrine, we have the obligation to incorporate it into the spectrum. But the doctrine must be taught with understanding and explanation of why God asks this and what He is accomplishing by it. With the moral and spiritual warfare Satan is waging against us, we cant hope to win unless we are willing to take a strong, decisive stand for the truth. In todays secular schools, children as young as kindergarten age are being taught that the homosexual lifestyle is all right. Those religious groups that hold on to their people begin at the earliest ages, teaching strongly definitive doctrine, thoroughly indoctrinating those young minds. We must be as wise as they; we must
instill in our children the directives of Gods Word from the earliest ages, before they are old enough to have to make decisions about a lifestyle or a marriage mate or parenting. If we wait until they are faced with those forks in the road, we will lose because their peers and the world will have already turned them to their way of thinking. Permeating the materials must be, not only definitive doctrinal truths, but also the moral and social applications that are the natural result of godliness.
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Emphasize that creation, not evolution, was Gods method of bringing all things into existence; that the ideas of ape and caveman are also a part of the evolutionary scenario and contradict the Scriptures. Early men were intelligent and could do great things. Then, as now, some lived in tents and caves, as well as other types of dwellings, but there were cities and highly developed civilizations, too. As evidenced by the pyramids and other astounding constructions, people of the past could do things that absolutely could not be reproduced today, even with all of our technology and equipment. Because of the onslaught of atheistic teaching in the schools on evolution, it is of greatest importance that we arm our children with the truth on this vital question. Teach the value of the home; the devastating results of divorce, and of marriage to unbelievers (use Bible examples from the Old Testament, Scriptures and commands from the New); stress Gods reasons for strictness about marriage: to protect the home and the nation from just the sort of corruption and decay we have now. Show how juvenile crises have grown, with the crime rate, and all other social ills and crimes, as divorce has grown. As painful as some of these lessons will be, the problems will never be corrected unless Christians and Christian teachers have the strength to teach what God says about the sanctity of marriage. Keep Gods overall purpose (reconciling man to Himself) in mind. Establish: How does this lesson relate to His purpose? How does it apply to
me? How do I fit into His purpose? These questions should be embedded in the students mind. A strong line of demarcation needs to be drawn between Bible and tradition, so that students can hold to the Truth while having a flexible attitude about the traditions that often can and should be improved. All of us need to be firmly grounded in the fact that traditions will change with the times and the culture and the country in which the Christian lives, but SCRIPTURE does not change and we have no authorization to set aside what God has said and make a substitute of opinion or tradition. Gods Word is not a book of ideals and suggestions; it is the last will and testament of our Lord.
nation of China can do to help the church will be worth far more to us than our little amount of money will be worth to their economy, so we should take advantage of whatever can be done there. In addition, a number of Christians currently work in China, and through them we should be able to locate the best factories for economical development of the visuals and crafts that will be needed. CDs and DVDs can also be produced very economically, enabling us to use these tools in a great way. What an age we live in! God has supplied everything we need so that we can fully evangelize the world in our generation. What a difference that will make in the history of the world, and in the future of the Lords church for centuries to come! We must not be lulled by doing good busywork, using all of our time getting ready to teach, but never teaching. Launch into actually becoming involved with teaching and with guiding people to find Bible answers to their needs. A confronting, reproducing Christianity is the only kind that lives and brings happiness. We must dig ourselves up out of this rut of deadly routineness and complacency. Christianity was never intended to be the religion for lazy or half-converted people. If those things are the measure of our commitment to God, we are in the wrong place. Heaven is described as a place of rest from our labors. That doesnt mean our never-ceasing effort to acquire more of this worlds goods. The inference is that only those who have labors to rest from will go there.
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things. And, today, with current technology, we have every additional tool needed to blanket the world with a knowledge of Gods will. Christians, TODAY, are in position to do what has evidently not been done since the church fell away. Satan knows what is possible, and he is doing all he can to thwart it by crippling the church with apathy, materialism, biblical ignorance, and sin. You and I we Christians, living today are the ones who will decide what the future holds for the church, for our nation, and for the world: the light of Gods Word, or another spiral into dark ages? When Moses led the Israelites to the borders of Canaan, he told them to go
in and take the land that God would fight for them. God supplied everything that was needed, but He didnt make the decision for them. THEY CHOSE NOT TO GO. The result was forty years in the wilderness. In this proposed work, God has supplied the initial funds for the development and printing of the materials. He has supplied the Internet, the communication tools, everything we need to complete the work. We have been led to the borders of the promised land. We are being told, Go in and do the work. I have supplied all you need. But God will not make the choice for us. What will we decide to do?
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In all that we do, we pray for the wisdom promised in James 1:5; we pray for the strength promised in Ephesians 3:16; we pray to be tools in Gods hands and not to get in His way with our human inadequacies.
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and his family live in Texas: Justin and Leah Hopkins. They come to us, highly recommended by Rudy Cain of World Video Bible School. Please take the time to read Justins introduction of himself and his family on page 16. Because of the magnititude of the work, we realize that leadership will be necessary for volunteers in the eastern states as well. We believe this second couple should be young enough to be energetic, old enough to have graduated their children, sound in the faith, passionate about the need for the literature, and willing to devote the rest of their lives to bringing this goal to fruition. We pray that the capable preacher who could do this will recognize himself in this description and will call us!
Justin Hopkins
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I cant help but call to mind Numbers 11. When Moses became frustrated with the lack of help that he had as the leader of Gods people, Gods answer was to task him with solving that problem by searching out seventy men to help him. We have been concerned, and often frustrated by the state of the Bible classes throughout the Lords church, and now we have been afforded an opportunity to solve that problem by becoming involved full time in this great work with World Evangelism, in helping to develop the literature we are calling Into Gods World. It is our hope and prayer that through our efforts, with your help, support, and prayers, we can provide for our children, and for yours, the quality of instruction and materials that they need and deserve. Perhaps one of the more exciting facets of this great project is that it is work that we can share! When one considers the many areas of expertise that will be needed to pull together everything for the various phases of the program, it immediately becomes clear that only a small portion of the necessary abilities reside within any one person. We need your help! If you have experience in writing, proofreading, editing, in graphic design, in art, and in writing childrens songs, would you contact us and let us know of your abilities and desire to help? Maybe you can afford to help with personal support for our family in some small way, even by Leah Hopkins book foregoing a on purity, for young movie or a girls. Order for your h a m b u r g e r class from www.Hoponce a month, kinsPublishing.com as we devote full time to this great task. If you can help in either or both of these ways, we are grateful for your fellowship. Even if you cant help with the work, and cant help to support us, you can still provide that which is most valuable: your earnest prayers. Please do pray for us, and for all who are involved in this effort to bolster the Lords church through World Evangelism and Into Gods World.
Justin and Leah can be reached at: Phone: 210-593-8329; email: justin@ Justinandleahhopkins.com; Website: www.HopkinsPublishing.com
can give them back to God as His manservants one day. As we do so, we have been praying and wondering, What can be done? Our children deserve better. They need better. And so do all of the other children in the Lords church! As we prayed, I worked to gain a deeper knowledge of people, of the development of our minds through life, and of effective methods of instruction, completing a BS in Human Development. Then, to better understand how to effectively teach the Gospel to souls of all ages, I have undertaken a study of Christian Education through Southwest Graduate School of Bible. We have always felt that one of the most powerful, lasting, effective, and efficient ways to reach people for Christ, and to build up the church, is with the written word. Through the Scriptures, God has preserved in written form His record of His dealing with man since the beginning of time! With that in mind, Leah and I, with much prayer, sweat, and tears, have brought Hopkins Publishing into existence, trying to create a cost effective means for taking sound biblical writings into the world and around the world. Almost at the same time, as we continued to study and pray about the Bible class program, not just in Utopia, but throughout the Lords Church, we received a phone call which resulted in our making a trip to Mississippi to meet with sister Choate, with the other good brethren of the World Evangelism team, and with the elders of the church in Dennis, MS, who sponsor sister Choate. It seems that all of this is a providential answer to years of tears and prayers. At the same time that we had come to be deeply concerned with the resources available for our children and for building up the Lords church, World Evangelism was in the process of forming a plan to develop those materials but they needed full-time leadership and co-workers.
The display, designed to introduce Into Gods World, makes a poignant statement.
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Bonnie and I primarily teach brethren to know Gods Word more fully and enable foreign nationals to evangelize more effectively their own nations. We teach in Bible schools, seminars, in homes, on village streets, in fields and in hotel rooms or anywhere else afforded an opportunity. Obviously, some of these settings are attended by many Hindus, Buddhists, Animists and denominational people, besides brethren. Some of these obey the Gospel, as 20 priceless souls did while we were present. Stateside, we travel about 3,000 miles monthly by car to update brethren about the mission work in which they
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...Rescued!
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have invested through us or through Betty Choate and her sponsoring congregation. Naturally, we also encourage additional congregations to participate with us financially in this good work. These programs are outgrowths of our voluntary association with World Evangelism, begun by the late J.C. Choate nearly a half century ago. We continue to work with Betty Choate, Winona, MS co-laborers Jerry and Paula Bates, longtime coworkers with the Choates, Wayne and Janet Barrier as well as others. World Evangelism offers a well-rounded approach to foreign evangelism of mass media (TV, radio, literature, Internet), follow up (overseas Bible schools, campaigns) and production of Gospel literature (tracts, books). Each family is amendable to the elders of its respective sponsoring congregation, and they and the churches that sponsor them voluntarily cooperate to accomplish an immense amount of good in proclaiming the Gospel especially abroad. Bonnie and I are pleased to be a small part of this good work. We covet your prayers and participation. You may reach me at 662.739.3035 (cell) or rushmore@gospelgazette.com. Visit us at Gospel Gazette Online (www.gospelgazette.com).
La Iglesia de la Biblia
(The Church of the Bible)
Que Es el Christianismo?
(What Is Christianity?)
Volume 8 of
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Byron Nichols
Let me invite you to take a little walk with me down memory lane. It was a little over 20 years ago, in August of 1991, that the preliminary work was begun on a new Gospel publication that J. C. Choate had been dreaming of for a while. He had chosen a name for it, but up to that point there had been nothing done to actually make the magazine become a reality. For some time I had been experiencing a growing desire to get involved in some way in some kind of Gospel teaching effort, especially one that would include what we usually call mission work. I had never met J. C., but I was somewhat familiar with his long-time work around the world, so I decided that I would write to him for any ideas that he might suggest for me to consider. He then called and invited Gay and me to come down to Winona, Mississippi, for a visit. During our visit ,he mentioned the magazine that he had been hoping to begin. That very quickly became all we talked about the rest of our time together. I knew that this was something that would fit well with my interests and abilities. He invited me to be the managing editor of The Voice of Truth International, but he also indicated that I would have to raise
In addition to these, the my own support (which was soon to prove to be magazine is being translated into smaller versions somewhat of a challenge). A few days later, I informed in a variety of other counJ.C. that I was ready to tries. We have been blessmake the commitment. It took longer to get the ed with several faithful staff people, with an magazine into production outstanding group of writthan we had anticipated, ers, and most of all, with but the first issue became numerous congregations a reality in May of 1993. and individual Christians After brethren were able who have provided the to actually see in print financial resources neceswhat we had been trying to describe for them ahead The new Hindi edition sary to make possible of time, many very readily of The Voice of Truth the impact for the cause International of Christ that The Voice were able to perceive why we were so positive in our belief that of Truth International has had now this unique publication was going to be for more than 18 years. The support a wonderful tool for both edification in and encouragement of our brethren the church and evangelization around have been of critical importance to the success of this work thus far. the world. Even in the midst of all the terrible The magazine is now being printed in several languages other than English. weather tragedies and the hunger and Included are Tamil, Telegu, Manipuri, maladies of all sorts that seem to be and Hindi in India, Nepali, and Spanish. abounding throughout the world, we can always find many reasons why Messages of Truth we Christians need to rejoice in the Byron Nichols multitude of blessings that the Lord call continues to graciously bestow upon us. Hopefully we are faithful in expressing 662-283our deep gratitude to Him for all that we 1192 have, as well as for all that we DONT or HAVE, such as the suffering that is so 417-823common in the lives of others. 4918. May we all be praying fervently An excellent and frequently for the courage and book to share conviction, for the will and wisdom, and with a friend for the stability and strength necessary who is not a for the church to be all that it needs to Christian. be.
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Theola Jane Kite was born on June 1, 1921, in a rural community near Weir, MS. At an early age, she married Grady Clyde Burton, a covenant relationship that continued until his death on September 19, 2004. To that home were born five children. When Clyde and Theola moved to Winona, MS in 1948, they began to search for a congregation of the Lords church. Clydes grandparents and parents were Christians, so that
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world. Decades of seless mission work expanded the borders of the kingdom so that there grew to be more Christians outside the U.S. than within her borders. Satan is vigilant though, while, in contrast, it is typical of humans to grow lax. Moving toward the end of the twentieth century, the prosperity of the church in size and nances brought a feeling of security, which led to laziness in study and outreach. Weak conviction and untaught young Christians opened the door to another wave of apostasy. Once more, heretics in the church are teaching doctrines that violate Scripture. Some have opened the arms of fellowship to the denominational world, saying that the divisive names and doctrines can be overlooked by Gods grace. With this acceptance come corruptions of worship, changes in public leadership roles, and other concessions to an increasingly godless culture. Satan is again successfully muddying the water, obscuring truth, and dividing Gods Family. And Christ, through Paul, is begging, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10).
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New Books!!!
Check the Bookstore at:
WorldEvangelism.org
A reprint of Wyatt Sawyers classic workbook, Panoramic Views of the Bible, offering in one volume an overview of the entire Bible. Designed for one year of study.
$9.00
The Destruction of Faith, an analysis of the current culture in America and of the effect it is having on individual Christians and the Lords church, by Kenneth Morvant
$8.00
Get Set Grow is Paul Ecksteins very practical study for new Christians. Ideal for individual or classroom study, with application exercises.
$5.00
is Louis Rushmores study of the church that was divinely planned and established by Christ. $8.00 Order from:
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New Books!!!
Check the Bookstore at:
WorldEvangelism.org
Can Man Find the Way to God? Threads of Truth in ancient religions indicate a single source for the knowledge... Betty B. Choate 140 pages, $6.00 Louis Rushmores study of Biblical Companions: how sacred history, archaelology, and geography work together to conrm truth. 212 pages, $8.00
Louis Rushmores warnings concerning proper handling of Scripture: No Hermaneutical Gymnastics, Please! Serious Discussions. Part of the group that hadnt gone home! 59 pages, $6.00
Paula and Larry trying to nd Winona on a map of India.... Shhh... Dont say anything to em!
Bonnie Rushmores study for ladies classes, Living Principles; an analysis of well-known and little known women of Scripture. 128 pages, $7.00 Order from: World Evangelism Publications P.O. Box 72 Winona, MS 38967 662-283-1192
Once annually, those of us who work together in the World Evangelism team have three days of fellowship in Winona, discussing what has been done in previous months, and plans for the months to come. Its a serious fun time! We will miss Don and Sylvia this year.
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Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Taking Jesus to the world is no small feat. As a matter of Tom Burnett while deciding to storm the cockpit of Flight 93 on fact, the world has never been larger! According to the U.S. September 11, 2001. Many on this flight had spent thirty minutes Census Bureau, the world population recently surpassed the on the phones with loved ones after the hijackers took charge 7 billion mark. All of these souls will go on to exist in eternal of the plane. The passengers came to realize their flight was not life or eternal condemnation. Christians everywhere are to returning to Newark, but instead it was most likely going to be do something to help more of them live by Gods standard. flown as a missile into the U.S. Capitol. Tom, a passenger and Jesus said it this way in Matthew 28:19,20: Go therefore former high school football star declared to his wife, Deena, I and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name know were going to die. Some of us are going to do something of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching about it. We join in with Toms sentiment. We are all on a path them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and toward death. Most are approaching eternity without the Savior, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. but some of us are going to do something about it! Will you join The main message from Christ is to make disciples. We us and all disciples who have walked before us? Our hopes are do this by going into our own homes, our communities, our that you will, and perhaps this magazine could be a small resource country, or into any part of the world. As we are going, we are along the way. Lets all put great back into our response to the to allow God to use us to save the lost from this world as we Lords commission as we Think on these things! lead them to His Sons cleansing blood in the waters of baptism. Saving the lost involves teaching about Gods saving grace, From the February 2012 issue of Think Magazine. This issue not just before baptism, but also afterward so Gods Word can was devoted to important analyses of outreach activity. Editors: David Shannon, David Longley, Brad Harrub, and penetrate their hearts and make them into true disciples. Just Glenn Colley. To subscribe, call 866-313-6474 inviting isnt enough. Just baptizing isnt enough. Until we have made disciples who observe all things God commanded, we havent practiced the Great Commission. Individually, we cant go to the entire world, but that cant stop us. As individuals we must do our part to exhort and encourage as God uses us to disciple His world. It is not enough to be a fan of Christ. We must be willing to sacrifice and become followers. We recognize that much of the world focuses on Valentines Day, birthday, and anniversary celebrations, and given the state of marriage in America, we think it is good for couples to invest in their marriages. But what better way to sincerely demonstrate love than to help someone spend eternity in Heaven? We hope that amidst all of the chocolates, flowers, and cards, that Christians will spend a moment considering those we love and their relationship with God. Take a minute and consider your extended family, coworkers, classmates, and neighbors. We want our neighbors to know the Lord that we adore. We dont want their souls to never go home. We want to obey our Lords commission. Will you join us in committing to reach this world? Lets each do our part! I am reminded of the words of
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Focus Press is dedicated to helping Christians grow stronger in the faith. I Grow is a brand new daily devotional book that is user-friendly. It is spiral bound for easy use, and each new day has a new lesson that challenges readers to relax, read, reflect, record and request. Why not make a new commitment to grow throughout the year by growing in His Word? Cost: $12.00 plus shipping and handling, or $10.00 for orders of 5 or more + S&H. It is the perfect gift, and a great way for elders to feed the flock. (Congregational bundle pricing available.)
Are you looking for magazines, books, audio CDs and DVDs developed by doctrinally sound Christians, designed for home schooling, equipping our teens, and educating parents on the crucial questions with which your children are dealing, in school and through media exposure? Focus Press offers a treasure trove. Call them at 866-313-6474, or go to their website: focuspress.org Also, check out the new Focus Press Youtube channel at www.you- DVD by Brad Harrub, Islam Behind the Veil tube.com/focuspress1 $10.00 plus S&H.
THINK: monthly magazine dealing with timely themes; annual subscription: $30. Go to the website to order. This excellent magaine is now available at some bookstores.
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feelings of blessing and burden! Ministering to and bearing the burdens of the overtaken (addicted) is fulfilling the law of Christ: Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:1,2). Each man arrives with a suitcase of turmoil and trouble. Like the prodigal son, he comes to us soiled and spoiled from living among the swine of this world. The thought that these are the sons of our brethren also weighs heavily upon us. Most have caused tornado- like destruction within their families. Parents, wives, and children are counting on our ministry of reconciliation. Much of our time is spent ministering to family members. To us, this is a great blessing and burden!! As they send members of their flock our way, elderships are looking to us for help. This, too, is both a great blessing and great burden. With the help of all of our supporters, we feed these men, clothe them, house them, and make them feel loved. We begin immediately to build a bridge for them back to God and Christs church (James 5:19,20). The greatest blessing is to actually see the spiritual growth as they turn from darkness toward the light of Gods Word. In Acts 16:9 we read about a man pleading for help. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with
him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. Like the man of Macedonia, we are sending this report as a plea for help! We need your help with our blessings and burdens!
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Lord, keep me working, keep me t, At windows I dont want to sit, Watching my fellowman hurry by: Let me stay busy til I die. Grant me the strength, the power, the will Some useful niche in life to ll, This is my prayer as time goes by, Lord, keep me busy til I die.
Unknown
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Available NOW! Full-color, pocket-sized, tri-fold tracts on 76 topics, written in old-time Gospel clarity. Call 662-283-1192 for a list of the titles and to place your order. These conveniently-sized tools will be helpful for outreach and for strengthening young Christians. We are making an introductory price of only ten cents each, $5.00 for 50, plus postage.
Overseas Containers????
We folks in the ofce here in Winona would like to partner with others in the church who are shipping containers to points overseas. We have books, tracts, and magazines (English, Spanish, French) that we want to share with those brethren who so desperately need literature. We would be willing to pay our percentage of the cost for shipping, believing that sharing the load will enable all of us to do more. Please contact us at 662-283-1192.
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Apologetics Press
In his book, Out With Doubt, Kyle Butt, the Director of Biblical Research at Apologetics Press, has provided a means by which young people can do exactly that. Written in a vocabulary and style aimed specifically at junior high and high school students, this 150-page volume examines the existence of God, the composition, uniqueness, and inspiration of the Bible, the creation/ evolution controversy (including chapters on dinosaurs and the age of the Earth), miracles, the historicity and deity of Christ, and the resurrection. In an extremely well-written Afterword, Kyle talks plainly to young people about what they must do to be saved. The book has 13 lessons, which makes it perfect for use in quarterly Bible class situations (for which it was designed). It also would work well in a summer camp setting. Each lesson contains discussion questions that teachers can use to help students grasp the concepts being presented.
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Allen Webster is Editor of House to House, Heart to Heart, a bi-monthly 8-page, full color paper, filled with excellent articles for evangelism. Contact the Jacksonville, AL Church of Christ, (Phone) 256-435-9356 for information about distribution of this paper through their services. Email: info@jvillecoc.org; Websites: www.jvillecoc.org; www.housetohouse.com
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A New Sign
During this past spring, some heavy winds knocked our sign down. We now have a new one that was designed by Bill Jackson and made by a local sign shop. It is hung on the side of our building, facing the street. A perfect fit for Moab.
Julie continues to teach every other Tuesday morning the ladies Bible class. Attendance varies with an occasional visitor. They are working on the 4th chapter of James. The kids are doing well in their school work. They continue to gather with other home-schooled families in Moab. Occasionally, field trips are planned. I have successfully completed another semester of Church members and visitors for graduate studies through the Friday night meetings.
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Mission Printing
A Cheerful Giver
(Article submitted by Tom Garner)
Everything we are, have, or ever will have comes from God. Without Him, we would have nothing or be nothing. The earth is the LORDs, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1). So, everything we have is not ours, but Gods. We are not owners of our possessions but caretakers or stewards. As Christians, we should take on the role of stewards of Gods money. Everything we have should be dedicated to advance His work in saving the lost souls of the world. Jesus said, ... whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:33). He also said, No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money] (Luke 16:13). What are the differences in the characteristics of owners and stewards? The owner says, How much of my money should I give to the Lord? The steward says, How much of Gods money will I keep for myself? The owner may attribute his success to his own ingenuity and hard work. He believes he earned the money and he can spend it however he wishes. The steward gives all credit to the Lord for his success and is thankful for these blessings. His first thought is how he can use these resources to further the Lords work here on earth. The owner thinks about himself first. He overspends on himself and lives an affluent life. He buys expensive cars, boats, oversized homes, and numerous other things, which he thinks will bring happiness. After buying all these material things, he has little left over for God. The steward lives a frugal, sacrificial life. He saves his money and does not overspend on an affluent lifestyle. He gives to the Lord on a regular basis and with a cheerful and liberal heart. So, what is our purpose in life? To accumulate money and things and to live an affluent, materialistic life, or to be good stewards, responsibly managing those gifts received from God and cheerfully returning those gifts to Him in ways which will spread the Gospel and increase His Kingdom in this world? Jesus said, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). As we consider cheerful giving let us remember that God gave his very best, His only Son, the greatest gift ever known. God wants us to be spiritually minded, not materialistic. If God is truly our first love, we are motivated to willingly, cheerfully, gracefully and liberally return to Him our best gifts. We will be happy to do this, not out of necessity or compulsion, but out of love and generosity. Remember that giving is not limited to money. It also involves time, talents, service, volunteering, etc. The more we give of ourselves and our money in the service of God, the more He will bless us to be even more useful. In conclusion, consider the following Scripture. Paul wrote, Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
Richard Renfro: Mission Printing, 2707 Medlin Dr., Arlington, TX 76015; Telephone: (817) 792-3371 missionprinting@gmail.com; www.missionprinting. us
Lest We Forget,
by Philip Slate. A compilation of mini-biographies of 84 missionaries of churches of Christ in the early part of the 20th Century. 120 pages, $8.00.
Call 662-2831192
World Evangelism Publications
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Every now and then we receive a letter or an email that is too encouraging not to share. As the letter states, its never too early to start. See little Abigail watching GBN. Thanks to the Brackins for sharing. Don Blackwell, Executive Director, GBN
Train Up a Child:
Cliff Goodwin, BJ Clark, Mike Hixson, Don Blackwell, Tom Holland, Eddie Parish, Jim Dearman and so many more); even being able to identify them just by their voices. Thank you so much for your commitment to the spreading of Gods inspired Word. In Him, Stewart and Mandy Brackin
Dear GBN Staff, First of all, we want to thank you for the excellent programming you provide. Your programming runs almost continually on our home computer. This has been particularly beneficial for all of our family, especially our sons who we are homeschooling. Our youngest (daughter, almost 2 years) has seen us on so many occasions pull up chairs in front of the computer to watch the different programs. The other day, we found that she had pulled her own chair up in front of the computer and was watching by herself. Its never too early to start (Deuteronomy 6:7). We find your programming essential for our family since it speaks the Truth honestly and provides additional great role models for our children, which is so very important. While our sons (9 and 11 years) may not be able to identify those in pop culture (musicians, actors, etc.), they certainly recognize and respect those on your programming (i.e. Glenn Colley,
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Community Emergency Outreach, conducted a free JOB SEARCH STRATEGY Seminar, and a Singing Outreach to the community. Next we will be providing practical training for everyone on how to naturally share their faith, and a spiritual leader development process which will help to keep us focused on the MISSION. Bren is working with the Laurel elders & deacons and Mike Ray (Pulpit Minister) to involve every member of the Laurel, MD church in Gods Awesome Mission! So far, we have launched 24 Outreach Teams and sixArea Outreach Bible Studies! Working together with all our members, we have begun briefings and training for a new Homeless Outreach, an expanded Food Pantry Outreach, Community Emergency Outreach, conducted a free JOB SEARCH STRATEGY Seminar, and a Singing Outreach to the community. Next, we will be providing practical training for everyone on how to naturally share their faith, and a spiritual leader development process which will help to keep us focused on the MISSION. In December, Bren will begin a quarter-long class on BUILDING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS which will strengthen and inform all of our outward efforts and our effectiveness
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After months of corresponding with church leaders in numerous countries and then compiling the information they provided, I have nally completed the rst major update in four years of our directory of French-speaking Churches of Christ around the world. This tool is an important aid to us in our efforts to provide Christian literature to the French-speaking brotherhood. I also share copies with those who are heavily involved in teaching Bible correspondence course students and who sometimes need to put their students in contact with the nearest congregations. It is helpful for preaching schools like the one we started in Cote dIvoire, because it contains the information they need to communicate with congregations throughout French Africa that might want to send brethren for training. It is also a big help as various ones here in the States call me, needing to know how to contact the church in countries where they plan to travel or where they are
New Publications
In addition to keeping a supply of all the books, correspondence courses, periodicals, booklets and tracts that
For more information and an electronic copy of the directory, contact me at: World Outreach French: fwo.ceb@ gmail.com.
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COLMAR CAMPAIGN TEAM from Laurel, Geneva, and Strasbourg churches Continued from page 38
The Geneva and Strasbourg churches met us and did a citywide distribution of invitations to study the Bible by Internet or by correspondence. Within just a few days, we got 17 contacts total (some from the distribution, some from personal outreach in the area)! This is OUTSTANDING for France! Bren preached at the Strasbourg church as Swiss, American, French, and Belgian Christians worshipped together in this place! Daniel and Tammy Frerot and their wonderful girls (and Tammys mom) are doing an excellent work there! Frederic Bahloul (Sunset/SIBI graduate from France) is now helping Daniel with preaching and outreach efforts! Also serving faithfully there is our good friend, Christophe Muller. Frederic is in need of monthly support. If you can help him, please email me as soon as possible! Another development since we were there: the church is also getting a more centrally located, larger meeting place. This is a great blessing! You can help Daniel and Tammy by supplying donations towards chairs and tables, and they still need about $280/mo. more to cover the additional expense. Please consider sharing personally in this wonderful work! For more information, email Daniel at Daniel.Frerot@gmail.com! Please pray for all these contacts, Christopher Cascales and family (now in Pau), and the Strasbourg and Geneva churches!
Bren White: The Church of Christ of Laurel, 7111 Cherry Lane, Laurel, MD 20707; Website: www.ofwmissions.com; Email: ofwmissions@gmail.com
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The response to the WEI program from the community and the church has been nothing short of amazing. We are fast-tracking this program . . . to hold WEI sessions during regularly scheduled classes on Wednesday night at 7:00 P.M. and afterwards at 8:00 P.M. We encourage students to bring their families to classes while they [the parents] learn English. As many as 25 individuals from the [Katy] congregation will help teach these students. This will enrich both teacher and student who otherwise would not have had the opportunities they now have through WEI. This success will not be bottled up for long. I am sure that in the fullness of time, many will come to see how valuable WEI is to the world (local and abroad). The material Our growing and enthusiastic class. is perfect for our situation. Read Glover Shipps account The results are literally overwhelming. of the rst decade of work We are already forced to turn away by the team that was called potential students who are hungry to learn. Brazil Nuts. Entertaining, We need all hands on deck. Opportunity is enlightening... knocking, and it isnt doing so softly. Hardback, $8.00
Order from: World Evangelism Publications P.O. Box 72 Winona, MS 38967 662-283-1192
He wants to teach others about Christ, but does not know how without risking his family. Now he discreetly posts signs Learn English Free: WEI. Thus, WEI can do the teaching for him. In the past two months he has received two threatening phone calls. He and is wife have four children. Please pray for them.
World Bible School, 16110 Anderson Mill Road, Cedar Park, TX 78613 USA; 512-345-8190; 800-311-2006 Mail: P.O. Box 2169 Cedar Park, TX, 78630; Website: worldbibleschool.net email: info@worldbibleschool.net
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This last month we have had a VBS with a Samson Old Testaments lesson with help of sister Laura (my mom) who spent time with us over a month along with brother Juan Garcia who came down from Russellville, AL, to help us out with local church work here at Montecarlo congregation. The local young people went on a winter Bible Camp, with a total attendance of about 60. Eleven of them were from Montecarlo and the good news as a result of it all was that a young man named Cristian Otero, 19-years-old, was added into the body of Christ. After it was over, two weeks ago at a Saturday afterrnoon after having a Youth Class at the congregation, four more people obeyed the Lord. They are: Erick Chinchay, Alisson and Angelica Pinchi, Juanita Jurez. Five, in total, have been added into Lords church here at Montecarlo, just in the past few weeks! We really need your prayers for these new souls and also about this fine Lords work that we are doing down here. These last weeks also we had a visit with brother Joe Ruiz and his wife from West President congregation in Greenwood, MS. We did a Gospel meeting with two sister congregations, Stone Bridge and Las Brisas. There was an attendance about 50 people in two nights of this gathering. We also visited Christians who have forsaken the church assembly, to encourage them, and on every first Sunday of the month we have a special lunch time for all the church members and get together more closer. We are having home Bible studies with non-Christian families, and this past month we celebrated the thirteenth church anniversary being held at the meetinghouse in Montecarlo, with two speakers: brother Carlos Perez from Stone Bridge and Pablo Valderrama from Las Brisas congregations. Please pray for us all here as the seed is being spread out as we reap the harvest for the glory of God.
Helmut Garcia: hgidecmontecarlo@hotmail.com
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Lyon, France
Charles O. White
Corinthians: Malheur a moi si je nevangalise! (Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! 1 Corinthians 9:16; RSV). We will be considering different ways to spread the Word. So, we are looking forward to a great weekend with other workers at St. Albain, a chateau about an hour from Lyon. Our elder selection process is up and running again. This month we held a meeting of all the men to discuss how to approach different doctrinal questions that will come up when people with certain types of baggage come into the assembly. It will be important that the elders all be on the same page in these situations. We have a young American with us this school year. She is teaching English in a couple of Lyon schools. For the moment she is just getting into the job with its ups and downs, but shes up to the task. Her name is Kayla. This month, we had a short visit from Emma McCready, formerly Emma Carter, a young lady whom we met in the 90s when she came to Lyon as a nanny. Emma came really to visit one of the couples she worked for that year, because the husband is deathly ill. It wasnt easy for her to arrange that time off, as she now is married with two children and has a full-time job, but her heart brought her back to encourage these people, and we think she is to be commended for that. We used to have a singing group that met three times a month and sang for different occasions: weddings, retirement, community programs, encouragement in hospitals, etc. Different schedules and absences had prevented us from being able to do a presentable job for the last two or three years, so the meetings have been reduced to once per month. In the new arrangement, the first 45 minutes, during which we learn a new song from our songbook, are open to any member of the congregation; the second 45 minutes are for those who wish to learn more difficult, choral-type music. We still hope to be able to begin again visiting retirement communities and other places where we can share the Gospel in song. Perhaps you have been hearing about the European summit to bail out Greece and save the Euro. It is quite a complicated scenario, and Im thinking that most Europeans dont get all the ramifications (I certainly dont), but Im also wondering how much coverage all of that got over your way. It really was quite a serious situation, and much of the European economic stability was threatened. But with some hard work from the French and German leaders, and with a financial contribution from China, things seems to have calmed down. It is possible, though, that some countries having gone to the Euro may have to back out and take up their own currency again, at least for a time. Some French folks would like to do that right now.
Charles White: cwhitelyon@aol.com
My first subject is a very personal one. It concerns the recent passing of my uncle Earl in Ohio. The French use the saying, my American uncle when they are referring to someone who is rich. My American uncle was not rich; he was a man of modest means, having worked as a highway patrolman and undercover police officer in his state. But then, oh yes, Earl was a very rich man. He was rich with faith, wisdom, love, generosity, good humor, kindness, compassion. He served well in the highest office available to a man upon the earth, that of elder in the Lords church. He was loved for his open, easily touchable heart. Im glad to know that, today, he is with so many other dear ones who wait for the rest of us, in the bosom of Christ. And we are praying for Delores, his faithful wife. We invited Brady Smith from Lausanne, Switzerland for a weekend of teaching on the resurrection. He did a Saturday afternoon seminar, then taught the adult class and preached on Sunday. Brady challenged our thinking in several areas and gave us an opportunity to look at the resurrection with renewed hope and expectation. Each year we have what is now called the French-speaking Workers Retreat. (Retraite des Travailleurs Francophones). Another assembly was supposed to be preparing the program, but when they defaulted, the work was passed on to Lyon, as we were next in line. Two other men and myself got right on it and developed a program based on Pauls exclamation to the
Lessons for serious Christians $8.00 The Missionary Myth... An important study for those planning to send or go. $8.00
World Evangelism Publications
662-283-1192
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When we think of the Great Commission and mission work, some of us probably think immediately of preaching the gospel and baptizing penitent believers into Christ. Indeed, it is that but much more. In Matthews account, the Lords commission extends beyond baptism to include, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. The commission is not fully carried out once one is baptized. Just as teaching is required prior to baptism, so teaching is also required after baptism. Only then can it be properly said that the Great Commission has been completed. Without realizing it, however, this second part of the Commission can be left incomplete in mission efforts. Twenty years after the great campaigns of the 90s resulted in hundreds of baptisms and multitudes of churches being planted in Russia, the church is presently in decline. Syktyvkars elders observed this firsthand from extensive travels among Russias congregations. While some of the cause is due to Christians failure to grow, mature, and assume responsibilities as they should, they attributed some of the cause to premature withdrawal of missionaries before grounding was completed. During the first decade after the fall of Communism in Russia, beachheads were secured for the Gospel and many missionaries made long-term commitments because the work of grounding requires adequate time. Throughout the second decade, however, missionaries began leaving and were not replaced. For some, leaving was beyond their control, the Russian government and other factors being to blame. More tragic, however, is the loss of support that caused others to leave. Why would some churches stop supporting the Russian work? At least part of the reason seems to be in proportion to waning numbers of
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world in the guise of truth. You see, the salvation of the world is dependent on truth (John 8:32, 17:17), not on the doctrines of men (Matthew 15:8,9).
Today, from this relatively insignificant college, heralds of truth have gone out to the world. Not all remained true to their calling, but many have made a difference in numerous places. Graduates report results of conversions that leave us ecstatic. Six hundred or more have gone forth, and over twenty different countries have benefited from their proclamation of the Truth. The Soldiers of the Cross have pushed back the frontiers of spiritual ignorance, poverty and hunger. Beachheads have been set up, the soldiers have conquered in the name of Christ, the Church Militant is at work. Please remember those in the spiritual combat zone. They are soldiers too. They need your prayers, your support, and your partnership. They cant do it alone. An army is not one man, but many, committed to the same cause, no matter what the cost. Please stand with us!
By Al. J. Horne, president, Southern Africa Bible College, Benoni, South Africa; Email: alhorne@ktc.com.
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But we seem to forget that God does some of His best work in man when things are broken and all seems lost. The New Testament tells of a time when Christians were persecuted for their commitment to their faith. Those people remained steadfast, even though they were scattered. The adversity caused their faith to thrive. This is what we saw demonstrated in Lagos as Isaac Onyebuchi, our follow-up man and his family, lost their house and all their belongings. After getting his family to safety, he never once thought about anything but the students he was bringing to us to be taught. We had been teaching a large group of Muslims, and that day 7 more were coming to learn about Christianity. Others wanted to come but the roads were blocked with debri from the storm. At the end of the day, all those we taught were baptized for the remission of their sins, which brought a total of 45 Muslims now Christians from our two weeks of teaching. It was at that time that it finally dawned on Isaac that he and his family had no place to lay their heads that night. Everything was gone, but it was his faith that enabled him to endure, and to say, I count it all joy when I face trials of this kind because it tests my faith, and that develops
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A Tornado in Nigeria
Ron Pottberg
For those of you who are not aware, the World Bible School office in Lagos was destroyed on Monday, February 13th by hurricane-type winds called a microburst. The roof of the entire building was blown away and, with the rains that fell, everything in the office was literally destroyed. Our own brother Godwin was at the office when this occurred at about 7:00 A.M., and he escaped with little damage to himself, but it shook him up. He took pictures of the damage, and I have included these for you to see that the office is a loss. We will have to rebuild as soon as possible in order to get back up and running. In the meantime, Godwin and our team are working from his small apartment and will keep things moving. The good news is that we know of only two people who lost their lives across the city of Lagos, but with 25 million people, that is not bad when you consider the damage that was done. About 30 feet from where Ruth (Orr) and I were staying, the wind ripped for damages. There is nothing we off three roofs. The church building can do about it but rebuild or move to and preachers house, from which we some other location which would cost watched the carnage, had little damage, many thousands more. We need about but it could have been much worse. $1000 to get the construction started, Isaac Onyebuchi, who works with and there will probably be some other Ruth, lost his house and everything in. expenses later, such as inner ceiling, The other good news is that on the tile for the floor, and other necessities. previous Friday we had decided to go I will keep you all posted as Godwin ahead and process the WBS mail, so moves forward with this. everything was already sorted, packed, PS: Our WBS office was upstairs at and with me at Lawanson, and not in the far right. Between the roof coming the WBS office. So we lost no lessons off and the rains soaking everything or mail, but everything else in the office else, the contents are a loss, but it can including all of Godwins books, be rebuilt fairly cheaply. library, and resources was lost. Ron Pottberg works with World Bible School The landlord will not rebuild for follow-up. Phone: 512-635-8519. us, so with 14 months left on our rent, we have no choice but to rework our Count It All Joy... portion of the building and get back to business as usual. This is the way it is done in Africa, as they have no Continued from page 49 insurance, and the courts would take perseverance. We hope he can instill years if you wanted to sue someone that same great faith in all of those to whom he teaches Gods Word. It was hard to leave the next day because the WBS office and everything in it had been destroyed. Isaac had lost everything of an earthly nature, even his good Bible, and others had lost loved ones, plus their earthly belongings. It will take a long time to bring lives back to normal. They have no government help, Red Cross, or any agencies to help during times like this, as we in America have. They must depend on each other and God for support and encouragement. With such passages as Romans 8:18, Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Philippians 4:6 written in our hearts, we too may be strengthened to Count it all joy when we face trials of many kinds.
Ruth Orr can be reached at 913-359-7181.
Damage done to the building in Lagos, Nigeria, which houses World Bible School efforts.
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GARDENS/MINI-FARMS NETWORK
Ken Hargesheimer Workshops in organic, no-till, permanentbed gardening, mini-farming, mini-livestock farming, using bucket drip irrigation, in English & Espaol
Workshops: USA - TX, MS, FL, CA, AR, NM, WA, Mxico, Rep. Dominicana, Cote dIvoire, Nigeria, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Hait, England, Nicaragua, India, Uzbekistan, South Africa Two projects have proven that farmers who were taught new farming techniques using DVDs made greater application on their farms than those who were taught by lectures.
Obonga Orphan Home Christian Learning Centers WBS Centers Mt. Sinai Bible Camp/Christian Academy World Wide Live Internet Preacher Training School
Exciting News!
There have been over three hundred conversions in the last six months, reported by brethren working with us. Some of our brethren in one location in Kenya had been studying with a denominational church, and after some time and effort on their part, forty-three were baptized, and others are waiting for the proper time and for additional teaching. Barbara and I plan to visit this new congregation soon after reaching Kenya.
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were actually made from pillow cases. NBC Nightly News carried a story about Little Dresses early in 2011, and on December 20th the Nightly Network News (NBC) reported a
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BIBLES NEEDED
It breaks my heart to see poor people in Africa without Bibles. One can visit congregation after congregation and see only a handful of people who have their own copy of Gods Word. We are making a big effort to get more Bibles into their hands. English is the official language of Zimbabwe, and young people prefer the Scriptures in English, so each week we are mailing copies to the churches for distribution among the members. Chishona is the mother tongue of 80% of the Zimbabweans. We want to buy 400 Shona Bibles for distribution to the older people when we are in Zimbabwe this summer. Last year the cost was $20 each. Thus, we hope to raise $8,000 and have brother C. Mugweni buy the Shona Bibles and
CONVERSIONS TO CHRIST
We are happy to report the following baptisms. Mukandwa, 5; Dangamvura, 1; Shamva, 2; Gweru, 2; Dzvirasekwa, 3; WBS, 2; Damba, 4; Sakubva, 19; Dombotombo, 2. Matiza, 6; Hlabiso, 1; Murombedzi, 4; Triangle, 1; Banket, 1; Fern Valley, 2; Budirriro, 4.TOTAL REPORTED 59!
Loy Mitchell: lsmitchell@juno.com; PHONE 731-287-8823
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NEXT EVENTS
We will be having our Manicaland Gospel meeting and the International Gospel Meeting lectureship in Venda, workshops at Sakubva for men and for the preachers respectively, and a Gospel meeting in the Sharara area. We ask you to pray for our work. Pray also for the training of drip irrigation that is going on in different centres in Zimbabwe. Brother Goodyear will be here to help and encourage the participants.
Campion Mugweni. email: ctmugwen@ zol.co.zw. Sakubva Church of Christ, Zimbabwe, Africa.
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and objectives at ACSF are designed to insure the good work of training church leaders continues for years to come. Providing vocational training to our core curriculum will provide graduates a means of becoming self-supporting in the communities where they live and work. Your support, prayers and letters of encouragement have meant the world to me this past year. Please continue to pray that God blesses the work of the kingdom as we strive to teach precious souls the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.
from the ravages of this terrible disease. Gods people have always had a soft place in their heart for the widows and orphans of this world. We are reminded by what James tells us, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27). We now see this teaching being practiced on the campus of Tsumeb Bible College and Nigerian Christian Bible College. In both locations, our preachers not only see a practical application of Christian benevolence, but they are actively involved in working with the children. Through these actions, our students gain practical experience in pure and undefiled religion. How blessed we are that our campuses can serve those in the greatest need and at the same time teach real-life ministry to our students. This year, we purchased 13 new mattresses for the children at Tsumeb, but there is also a need to upgrade the kitchen appliances and to complete the addition of the National Electric Service on the campus of NCBC. Your continued help is what makes these projects possible. We would ask that you join us in the struggle to spread Christianity and to defeat the powers of Islam. Trent H. Wheeler, President, African Christian Schools. trent.wheeler@charter.net
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In January 2011, over 120 people gathered in Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to acknowledge what God is doing to increase His Kingdom on the eastern frontier with Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. Through French World Bible School activity and follow-up serminars, there has been significant growth of the church in this central part of Africa. Barry Baggott and Doyle Kee have made trips to Burundi and Rwanda with other brothers from Geneva to follow up on Bible correspondence course students.
couple of buckets of water. This will serve as their drinking water, bathing water, and water used for cooking. Someone has walked far, to a distant well or to the river, in order to get this water and none of it will be wasted. No one would ever think about throwing the remaining part of it out. Do we in America know how to appreciate our blessings?
Dick and Suzi Stephens: stephens.indiana@gmail.com.
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and view them on TV. I was with them when I distributed food to 300+ children at Makwamekwi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. I was hosted in the IDPs Manyata Hall where I was given
opportunity to address them, as their chair person interpreted my message in their native language. I told them about the love of God that caused Him to give His only son to die on the cross so we can be saved. I told them there are Christians who also loved them enough that they decided to give so their children can get food, most of whom are not only hungry but also sick. Lodwa is dry, hot and dusty! I found it very sacrificial to be here, but it helped to experience what others are experiencing. Then I could know there are things in life I take for granted. In a second trip to help the refugees, I came to Turkana (a 2-day journey) to feed the hungry children in that settlement of the Kakuma Refugee Camp, in Internally Displaced Persons camps, in the poor rural villages, and in Lodwar District Hospital. Some BIG hearted brothers and sisters in America donated money for the food. Christians in my home congregation (Nyamue) also gave the little they could afford. Turkana is one of the harshest places of habitation on earth. Residents there lack water, pasture and other natural resources. These scarcities restrict the Turkanas ability to grow their livestock herds and to engage in nonlivestock activities such as agriculture. Infrastructure in Turkana is minimal. There is one paved road in the entire vast area. Healthcare is poor: an estimated 50% of the population suffers from water-borne diseases related to a lack of clean water. Education is limited, giving way to the necessities of existence, such as tending to livestock, walking for miles each day in search of water and fuel. Only 15% of females are literate. Nutrition is terrible, with acute child malnourishment rates as high as 35% and chronic malnourishment prevalent. Child mortality until age five is one in three.
Tragically, these are refugees. This harsh and hostile area of Kenya was their place of escape from worse threats. Under what kind of challenges do you live? Be thankful...
David Marube: marube2k@yahoo.com.
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Developments in Pakistan
Asghar Ali
of Christ and the signs of the end of the world. We explained to him that these chapters were about the signs before the destruction of the temple. We asked him, According to what would the world be judged? He said, according to the faiths they follow, as he was taught in the college at Sahiwal. He referred to Romans 2:11,12. We explained that the whole world would be judged by Christ and referred him to Acts 17:30, 2 Corinthians 5:10, and John 5:27, 28. At the close of our meeting, we invited him to come to our place for Bible study, for which he promised that he would let us know by a phone call. On the 23rd of November Eric and his wife came to our place in our absence. The same day in the evening I rang him up and told him that he should have given me a call before coming to avoid inconvenience and disappointment. Finally, the Bible study was started with Eric and his wife on the 27th of November. Our second study was on the 2nd of December. Since that day we have been regularly studying together every week for one hour, except for three Fridays because of bad weather. Four copies of the Basic Bible Course books were mailed to Shahid in Hyderabad. This course, in English, was compiled by our late brother, Ira.Y. Rice, Jr. I translated all these twentyseven lessons into Urdu, our national language, and got them printed in book form. These materials are being used in our country to teach others the basic truths of the Bible. Obed Arthur is one of our best preachers. He is our first son-in-law, basically a banker. He knows the needs of the congregation and addresses those needs. All the church members like him very much. He would, in my judgment, prove a better preacher than me. He receives no monetary help from us. PLAN TO START CORRESPONDENCE BIBLE COURSES: We offer four correspondence couses, two in English and two in Urdu. Through these lessons, we are mailing out Bible-centered literature to a lot of people, and in this way we are able to reach out to those we cannot otherwise reach. Please pray for this effort. BLESSED WITH 12TH GRAND CHILD: On the 14th of December, our youngest daughter was blessed with a daughter, and that made us the grandparents the 12th time. On the same day, Jennifer, wife of Shahid our preacher in Hyderabad, Pakistan was blessed with a daughter. Please pray for both of these mothers and their daughters. $28,000 is still needed for the church building: Through our September/October, 2011 newsletter we appealed to all of you to help us buy a piece of land for the building, but so far we have not heard from any of you. We are mailing our newsletter to more than 50 churches and individuals. If every one contributes $560, we can have $28,000 very easily, and I believe you can spare that much. Please mail your contributions to our elders. WE OURSELVES ARE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE $2000 FROM OUR MEAGER LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS. BRETHREN, LET US PUT FORTH OUR COMBINED EFFORTS TO REACH THIS GOAL, IN A LAND WHERE CHRISTIANITY IS NOW PERSECUTED.
Asghar Ali: asgharcoc@gmail.com.
OUR CHURCH ATTENDANCE: Our Church attendance these two months stayed 35-40, and a couple of Sundays it shot up to 45-50. OUR BIBLE STUDIES WITH ERIC IMTIAZ: In our Sept/Oct 2011 report, we made this statement: At times we pitied them and wanted to help them, but had we helped them, we would have been fellowshipping those who were violating the will of Christ, though we are not against teaching those in error as would be clear from our next newsletter. On the 9th of November, both of us along with our daughter Dilnawaz, visited with Eric and his wife at their place and spent 4 hours with them and had lunch with them. About the close of our stay, two ladies and a man came for Eric to pray for them. They had a bottle full of water. Eric wanted me to pray for them but I declined. Eric prayed for them, also prayed for the water to be anointed. When they left, Eric followed them and received some money for offering prayer for them. We studied with him Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 briefly. He had the same idea about these three chapters as most of the denominationals have, that they are about the signs of the second coming
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NIBC Graduation
Earnest Gill
I always appreciate the sacrifices that fellow Christians have made from the beginning of this ministry in Northern India. One brother rightly said that though it may be the beginning, it is great. It boosts the morale of the brethren, and the coming generations will see its fruit. Please be assured that we forget not to give thanks to our God for the great love and sacrifice made for His cause. This lectureship is a part of our training and helping to grow each other, sharing our experiences and encouraging one another this way. Keeping in mind that the preachers wives should also take benefit from this lectureship, as a preacher is crippled without her help, sister Ruth Peyton took the ladies class. Sister Benu assisted her in telling her experience with the truth and the joy of sharing it.
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Orphans
Don Iverson
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorr9wful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22). In the preceding verse, Jesus had given a rich young man the option of having his treasures in heaven rather than on earth. The story shows the folly in earthly possessions on which we often focus, and contrasts spiritual, eternal wealth. The account is so applicable in this time of I Phones, I Touches, I Pads and other material objects on which we place so much value. God has provided us with two beautiful campuses in Tamil Nadu, for orphaned children in South India. The children rejoice when, once per week, they are allowed to watch a movie on the television. Food is still a highlight and smiles grace their little faces when they find out they are having their favorite Indian food for dinner. On very rare occasions they are treated to chocolate cake. Recently, as Cathy and I asked about their favorite ice cream flavor, they did not even know what to call the treat they had tasted only a few times in their lives. Some smiled and said they like white ice cream, others preferred brown. They have no toys other than a few balls and cricket bats, yet the campus is filled with laughter. They love playtime and the little games they invent. Only one child, because he is mentally challenged, has a mattress. They sleep on bare concrete floors. Younger children have a cubby-hole, a private spot in which they can keep all of their possessions, most of which would fit into a shoe box. Older boys hang their garments on a row of nails driven into the concrete wall. One-hundred-thirty children awake to morning devotionals. A second devotional is held for the full assembly just prior to departing for school. At that time, they quote their assigned daily memory verse. An hour-long Bible class is taught every evening, just before the scheduled 8 P.M. dinner time. Finally, as they settle into their cottages for the night, one-by-one you hear the last spiritual song and prayer before they close their eyes in sleep. Our children have become a standard among Tamil brethren who sometimes compare spiritual depth of other church members by saying, This person has biblical knowledge like the children at DAI. No gadgets? No electronic games? No designer dolls with designer clothes? They must be miserable, someone might say. No! To the contrary, these abandoned, parentless little guys are some of the happiest children in the world. Though they memorize Luke 12:15, they dont comprehend as well as Westerners the impact felt as we live in opulence, while observing the way they actually live the verse, ... Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Don Iverson: doniverson@juno.com
BOUND.
Follow the intriguing story that teaches a beautiful lesson of love and compassion, resulting in the old-fashioned but surprising ending of happy ever after. Copies can be ordered from www.WVBS.org; Phone: 512-398-5211
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several other graduates from Madras School of Preaching financial support and we began working in major cities of our State of Andhra Pradesh. I worked with those brethren until 1985 when I decided to depend on local Christians for my needs, so I requested the elders to discontinue my support. They did not want me to go without their aid, but I had made up my mind to live with less money from the local church rather than with big money from a foreign source because I strongly believed that when a church is developed, the preacher who is helping that congregation with spiritual food has no right to live on another churchs support. I dedicated my life to teach one by one and helped several men get trained to work in their native villages since 1985. I think I had helped more than 400 preachers and congregations before I was given an opportunity to work with World Radio in 2001. The radio work attracted several thousands of listeners, and I have received about 17,500 responses and several more thousands of repeated responses so far. I am struggling with follow-up work because of the heavy number of responses every month. In 2005, World Radio gave me an opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka and start a radio program and evangelism there. Brother Reggie invited me to work with his congregation to help to build up the local church and reach other places in the city of Colombo through that work. Brother Harold and Sister Lilani were also impressed much and encouraged me greatly to work with them in Sri Lanka. As I was building my relationship with them and with the church in Colombo, suddenly brother Reggie passed away, leaving so many problems to the church and to the family,
unsettled. In spite of the war situation in that country, the Lord helped me to travel every month and spend about a week with brother Harold and the congregation, teaching and encouraging in building up the work which brother Choate started in that country. With the radio and personal teachings, brother Harold and I are working together and have converted a good number of souls. As you know, all these years the people suffered with much bloodshed under the emergency situation. Only last month, the Sri Lankan government lifted the country emergency after 30 years of time. I am grateful the Lord has heard the cries of the people of Sri Lanka where they suffered enmity and hatred, resulting in much bloodshed. There was no preaching of the Gospel outside of the Colombo City, the capital during the last 30 years. Last month, I could not go to Sri Lanka, but our work is progressing among many people as brother Thomas and sister Lilani are regularly taking part in different Bible studies. Brother Nimal, brother Kalum, and brother Nihal are supporting and attending studies also. Many brothers and sisters in the Colombo church and
the Vinnapur church are continuously seeking new contacts for Bible study. We also receive a good number of new responses from our radio programs in Sri Lanka. We are trying our best to bring unity among other congregations in Colombo and to educate the youth with more knowledge of the faith. Last month, the Lord helped me to continue teaching different classes in Andhra Pradesh, India where I am building a group of workers for the follow-up work of the good number of responses I have from the radio programs. Every month, I teach preachers training classes in different cities and now we have 140 young
students, mostly graduates and post graduates. For the next two years, we will work with these people to build their faith and train them to preach and teach in their native place and congregations. These places are Nellore, Sri Kalahasti, Vissanna Peta, Nagarjuna Sagar, Yanam, and Vizianagaram. I teach three days in a month regularly in all these places, plus I work in Sri Lanka for 4/5 days every month. We really need your prayers.
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We continue with local evangelism, the printing of the Hindi/English monthly magazines, The Bible Teacher, and supplying DVDs on request.
Sunny David: sunny_davidin@yahoo.co.in.
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India Harvest
Ricky Gootam
I want to tell you about a workshop we have here in Kakinada. About 150 preachers from different congregations attend every month. I get to teach on various topics. I have been doing a survey on the books of the Old Testament and their historical background. Brother Prasad from the Khamman congregation has been doing a series on how Solomons Temple looked. All the preachers liked the Powerpoint presentation showing how the temple was constructed and the many different materials that were used (1 King 5, 6 and 7 chapters). We gave a few cycles to the preachers. I call them Gospel Chariots. The cost is $80 per cycle. They are very helpful to local preachers in our country. Two men who Some got married, and a few are working in different villages and cities.
received cycles are Raju and Ranga Rao. They have been preachers for many years. Brother Ranga Rao works in a place called Gollavallie. Brother Raju is from the Tuni area. Both have congregations averaging 60 members and they have been faithful for more then 20 years. We have our regular Gospel meetings in various villages all over the state. Congregations invite my father and me to speak at their meetings. We got to open two new church buildings in one of the Island villages called Lanka. They dont have roads to those places, as it is an island, so we had to go by boat. In the last four weeks, we had eight baptisms in various villages. This month one of our tutors/teachers for our childrens home, Mr. Srinu, was baptized. I have been studying with him for the past year. He is a great blessing to our work in Kakinada. We have about 80 kids in our childrens home. Some of our older boys have gone out into the real world.
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David Nance, Michael, and the orphan boys, in front of a Hindu god.
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also teaches with Daniel through video conferencing. It is also my privilege to teach these students in classes and seminars when we are in Indonesia.
JAKARTA
Darmawangsa Congregation This church, located in the humongous capitol city of Indonesia has recently been able to buy two apartments in a brand new complex. These apartments are being combined to make a multipurpose facility that will include a large room for worship and smaller rooms for other activities to serve the church and community. Having a permanent facility owned by the church which meets in the heart of the capital city of the fourth largest nation in the world with the worlds largest Muslim population is an exciting development for the churches of Christ in Indonesia. This congregation has been meeting in a facility which they were able to rent for only a couple of hours each Lords Day. We feel this will mean so much to the growth and outreach of the church there.
Baptism in Bekasi.
Baptism in Medan.
BEKASI, JAVA
Brother Daniel Setiabudi reports several baptisms in Bekasi since our last Global Harvest report. He continues a weekly, live radio program each Sunday night. This program has a wide listening audience throughout the JABODETABEK area of Java and generates hundreds of Indonesian language World Bible School students and many students who study the Bible with Daniel using the World English Institute lessons. Steve Cate
Darmawangsa congregation
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Photographs of two of the twenty damaged church buildings; teaching victims of the earthquake.
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The Secret to Waking Up the Pew Potatoes: A second type of study for those who are looking for remedies to turn things around for dying congregations. $6.00
Order from:
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This year we arrived in the Philippines with donated funds for three kits to be installed in local Filipino congregations. However, because we cut every corner possible and worked with each congregation to see what they could do to help with their own kit, we were able to install 11 kits to be used by 11 congregations when their school year begins. Adding the Tutorials that are already in session this year, there will be a total of 20 Childrens Tutorials being taught by teachers from 20 local congregations in
parents and relatives of the tutorial children. When the parents register their children, they agree to avail themselves of Bible study and to attend at least two of the four worship services per month. When we teach the parents, we tell them that we offer their children an education of excellence. We impress upon them that academic education is only part of that; the other part is spiritual education. We praise God for those who have already been added to Gods Kingdom through their obedience to His Word. Some of our work is done in the very poor areas. This year we participated in two feeding programs. Over 700 children were fed. We were all touched by the look of satisfaction on their faces as they ate their bowls of porridge. As you would guess, the Philippine economic situation is not good at all, so, it is a positive thing when we can help out with a medical mission. The patients treated are all from the area around the church building, so the Christians have opportunity to interact with them. Livelihood programs are always encouraged to help the local citizens provide for their own. In one of the areas where we have a tutorial, one of the workers has begun a mushroom business. WOW! I was so impressed! Mushrooms are ready for harvest in just 25 days and can produce anywhere from 3-10 months, with very little overhead! This brother has employed several of the parents of the tutorial children. Two of the mothers were baptized while we were there visiting. Here Christianity is put into action in a real way. Thank you, Lord for mushrooms!!
Prissy Sellers: sellers7@sbcglobal.net
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Attached are pictures of local preachers receiving materials from World Evangelism. I have given them to churches in the disaster areas. While giving away food and water, we are
also giving them religious materials. Most have lost everything, including Bibles and religious books. Your materials could be their first book to start all over with. Thank you for your ministry. I pray that many souls will be saved and churches will be started through this.
When the disaster in Southern Philippines struck last month, water became a major need. Tens of thousands were left with out water, much less, clean drinking water. Little did Dr. Mikell realize that the people he taught in Cebu would be coming to Cagayan de Oro City and helping the disaster victims with the knowledge that he taught. Dodong Cabarles is now assembling bio-filters and teaching others how to do the same. Soon, we hope hundreds of these affordable natural filtration systems will be duplicated all over the country. They will not only save lives, but save money as well. People, especially the poor, do not have money to buy expensive drinking water, not at ten cents a gallon.
Salvador Cariga: cariaga@yahoo.com
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Jonathan Straker and his family have moved into the Ishinomaki area. They will be there for two years, supported by Healing Hands International. We hope to visit with them later this year when we make our annual trip to Japan. Here is a newspaper article showing the improvement after eleven months of clean-up (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ news/article-2099811/Eleven-months-tsunami-earthquakeravaged-Japan-new-pictures-incredible-progress-multibillion-pound-clear-up.html#ixzz1obDU4NiZ). These pictures illustrate how, in some cases, homes had to be pulled down as part of the rebuild, while in other areas piles of cars, rubbish, and even planes and boats needed to be hauled away. Further south, the tsunami also touched off a nuclear crisis when it slammed into the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, forcing about 100,000 people to leave their homes. Disposing of all the debris an estimated 23 million tons was a huge headache but authorities have been working tirelessly to clean up the mess left by the chaos.
Dwight A. Albright: daa5295@gmail.com
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view if I can help people it Kiribati to translate the tracts you sent over, entitled The Church That Jesus Built, Jesus the Son Of God, What Must I Do to Be Saved?, and Should We Use Musical Instruments in Worship? I can type, print, and submit to the local newspaper every Friday. The Newspaper will charge $50.00 half page and we will meet the cost from the church collection. We can run the half page until each lesson is completed. If the owner of the newspaper allows it, it will be very great for the people of Kiribati. I think the Lord will be happy and will bless our efforts for Him in spreading the Gospel. We live to serve Christ.
We work continually so that brethren have the same mind set that Tabera has, from the time the church is planted in a place. It is always a joy to see brethren and congregations grow in maturity so that they take on responsibilities themselves. Pray daily for our family as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the Pacific Islands. Pray for our health as well for as our beloved brethren in that part of the world. May the grace and peace of our lord Jesus Christ be with you is our daily prayer.
Robert and Mary Martin have worked in the Pacic Islands many years, reaching for the goal of bringing the Gospel to every island in the area. Email: RobertFIJI@aol.com.
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FAMILY NEWS
Chloe: Mummy, why does everyone say that you are coolest mother in the world? Because its true. Yeah, I guess Im lucky I chose you from the catalogue. Ethan had to have surgery on his throat to remove a lump. It went well and his recovery was great. We know a lot of you were praying about it, and we thank you. While the anaesthetist was explaining the process, he said that the smell of the gas he used to put him to sleep might seem a bit strange. Ethan responded, Thats okay, Im used to strange smells in my house. Mike: Sire, Sire, call me Sire! Rach: There will be no siring around here until you are 35 and we pick a fantastic bride for you. Mike: Im choosing my own wife and shes gonna be u-u-u-ugly! [Those words are going to haunt him in the future..] Mummy, can you butter my bread? No, you are seven years old, you should be doing it yourself. Pleeeaasse!!! Look, do you want me to be still buttering your bread when you are 30? No, I just want you to butter my bread when Im seven. Phoebe: The kids had been put in bed and Rachael had given them hugs and kisses. Phoebe starts crying for mummy to come back. She returns and Phoebe says, I forgot what your huggle felt like, Mummy.
Sponsored by Central Church of Christ., 200, 25th St. N.W., Cleveland TN, 37311. Ph. 423-476-8941; Contact: Scott Medlin, kf4gnl@yahoo.com
CONGREGATION NEWS
Elisha Payne was baptized into Christ in the wee hours of Sunday morning, in the Whanganui River. It was extra special for us as his family is very dear to ours, and he was the ring-bearer in our wedding. We have watched this young man grow up over the years, and we are very proud of his decision to be committed to Christ. Names of others studying are Tyler, Michelle, and Shaun. Please pray for these. Rachael and I really missed worshipping with our Palmerston North church family during the months we were
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The Forgotten Tool We must keep in our hearts Gods warnings and His promises:
To His People Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge ... Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children (Hosea 4:6). For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). To a Nation Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments ... that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God ... But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you ... The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me (Deuteronomy 28). To His Individual Children And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen (Ephesians 3:20, 21).
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To have experienced time absolutely alone with God, praying, singing, reading and studying His Word, while totally ignoring the physical body, is a spiritual high that creates a craving for more such special times. In no other setting is there such single-minded focus on God. You say, But we can have the same experience without having to fast. I think not, because part of the experience is the length of time without being interrupted to deal with all the day-today needs of the body. Have you noticed how much food governs the days schedule? And as a corporate body, we do enjoy those frequent occasions of fellowship meals together! They are good for us, and I would not discourage the practice. But I would like to suggest that we try having a day of getting together for singing, reading/studying Gods word, and fasting and prayer. Or we might have an all-night occasion, filled with such spiritual focus. Have you noticed that in our times of fellowship meals, almost without exception the conversation covers politics, the weather, family, sports events, and other such topics? But if we had an all-day or all-night praying and fasting session, such as has been described, I would think that the sole topic would be God and our love for Him. Wouldnt such occasions for the church be powerful tools for deepening the spirituality of each one participating, and wouldnt the Family closeness be strengthened through a day or a night spent in worship together without a single moment devoted to food (or to a discussion of sports)?
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Christians worship. We sing privately and in the public assembly. We pray, we study Gods Word, we commune in the Supper, we give. We visit and encourage one another. We have fellowship meals. . . Some among us have learned the blessing of using another tool in our spiritual life. Jesus words to the disciples, ... when you fast... (Matthew 6:16-18) resonate through the centuries. He said when, not if. The very wording is an assumption of fact: His followers would fast, so He told them how to behave and how to present themselves to the onlooking world in those times of fasting. They were not to put on an outward show of piety and of great spirituality; instead, their fasting was to be a very personal thing of personal spiritual benefit. The church as a body, and each of us as individuals, are to gather each first day of the week to worship. By example (... on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread... Acts 20:7) and
What Do We Propose?
Component Parts
Classbooks perfect-bound, full-color books for the child to keep in his permanent library. Teachers manual and visuals for the room, with training DVDs (buy only once). LifeSpan weekly paper for take-home. Book of Bible Knowledge compilation of visuals for each lesson of each quarter, bound into book form, for the childs permanent library, for continual review throughout childhood. Flash cards for memory work picturized for younger children; photos from the lesson with verse on back for older children. Memory verses set to music, with accompanying CDs. Time Lines (4 levels, for Wednesday evening studies) showing biblical events, corre-sponding secular events in that time in the world; secular events with providential overruling, changing the course of history. Parenting class materials for Sunday classes and for family devotionals. Daily Devotional material drills/review materials. Song books and CDs Adult, teen, juvenile. VBS guides, lessons, and pattern books, with DVDs for instructions. Bible Times Rooms with instructions for the rooms; lesson books, DVDs. Mission Learning Centers with instructions for making the rooms; lesson books, DVDs. DVDs of special adult class materials. DVDs of Holy Land experiences. Powerpoints of classes. DVDs of classes, taught by experienced teachers and made available for small churches, lacking teachers. Materials for small-group meetings, dealing especially with evangelism and other lessons in outreach and teaching.. Bible Character action figures and sets for 3-D lessons. Hands-on objects for cradle roll classes. DVDs to teach cradle roll teachers. Video games for: Memorization of verses Learning Bible facts Pauls journeys Bible timeline Into Gods World Internet website for publishing the materials (printed and DVDs), worldwide. Development of materials for churches overseas.