One of our members was with the team in South Asia and suddenly had to return home due to illness. For him this was disappointing because of the other destinations that were planned for the team. Since there were three on this trip, much prayer led to a decision that one of the team would continue the trip to fulfill our commitments at other places, and the other would return with our brother to support him and make sure he got home safe.
As you would expect, we have all submitted to the Lord’s will and wisdom in this situation. Our first concern is the health, healing of our brother, and the comfort of his wife and family. The Lord will always make sure His work is carried on by someone in some way. The Philippians had become attached to Epaphroditus who worked in that church while Paul was in prison. But Epaphroditus was sick which created “distress because…he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on” Paul who had sent Epaphroditus to Philippi. We must remember that God oversees every detail in these circumstances. He may have a hidden agenda to make us more dependent on the Lord and not so reliant on the plans we make. PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR BROTHER’S HEALING AND SAFE RETURN.
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![]() In previous blogs we have brought you news from India, and particularly the training of pastors and church leaders from the State of OdIsha. We began with translating God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) in the Oriya language. The impact of this was far greater than we ever imagine. It met a core spiritual need and prompted the leader who invited our team to want this training to eventually reach nearly 40,000 believers. Based on this movement of God, the next step was to take the pastors through God’s Plan for His Church(GPHC) in the Oriya language so they would have a solid biblical foundation for discipling, shepherding, and leading their congregations in a way that would help them mature and become stronger in their faith. Both training materials have exceeded the expectations of leaders there as well as ourselves. We are concerned about the encouragement and strengthening of these leaders and their congregations. Rising persecution also raises the need for our persistent prayer for these dear saints. Though we cannot give names of people and places, the information here is enough to petition our all-knowing God for Him to work among these people. In this blog I want to turn your attention to how NFI functions. In the past and in many areas of the world, it has been very difficult to work in because of longtime traditions that churches and leaders functioned under. Trials and persecution are beginning to change that. The deep hunger of souls at some point begins to ask questions that were not asked before and search for answers where answers can be found.
When God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) is first introduced to a group of pastors and church leaders, and often believers from their churches, the most common question that we are asked is, “why has no one ever come and taught us this truth before?” We cannot answer that question, but we can say, the Lord directed us to this place, and we are thankful to be here as your servants to lead you back to God’s Word. While we give a short overview of what they will be learning from our training, we want to quickly get them reading the Scripture references in the GPHD questions in each lesson, so they discover for themselves from God’s Word what the truth is on a particular topic. Through this method, each student owns what they are learning. It is no longer what a teacher says, but the Bible has become their authority for faith, truth, and practice. (NOTICE: BECAUSE OF COMPUTER PROBLEMS, I MAY NOT BE POSTING FOR SEVERAL DAYS)
This is the last news clip from Tom on their trip to Uganda. "James, the local pastor who planned my visit, is already planning the next visit. He and Patrick, another local pastor, are part of an association of 50 churches that cover a large area of northern Uganda and southern South Sudan. They see the importance of taking the biblical teaching to these camps and want us to go to as many locations as possible. We traveled to places I thought were remote areas, but James said there were camps much further out, and that is where the need is even greater. This needs much prayer. In relational cultures like Uganda, it is important to be willing to sit with people, which is what we did. It was very encouraging to the people in the camps. My wife's presence encouraged everyone in the camps, especially the husbands and wives, who traveled with us daily. It demonstrated to the people that we cared enough to come and be with them. On our last full day in Uganda, about five or six families who had either traveled to the various camps or planned the visits all got together under a mango tree at James’ house for a meal. During this time, several shared how blessed they were by our visit. I was humbled, but also learned how meaningful relationships are in teaching God's truth. Returning is so essential, so thank you for your part." Reports like this underscore our need to be involved through prayer and support. As you pray for Tom and the expanding opportunities, remember to pray for God to make the seeds sown to grow and become fruitful for His glory. As I bring you the next part of Tom's report on Uganda, I ask you to first think about the place where you gather to worship with others. Their conditions are very different from ours, but this does not minimize their passion for the Lord or their love for His Word.
"I taught in the camps. Most days, we left the house around 8:30 a.m. and returned around 6:00 in the evening. Each camp was different. Some camps were in open areas with few trees to escape the heat, while others had clusters of Mango trees to sit under which made a considerable difference in the temperature. Some of the camps had buildings where the church met that were made from dried mud bricks and metal roofs. We preferred sitting under the Mango trees, but the only problem with sitting under the trees was that the mangoes would randomly smack people on the head. The teaching groups ranged from 40 to 150, and many were children. The teaching would last for hours. There was always a lot of singing, which I always enjoyed. There was always at least one meal. There were usually two teaching sessions; I led one and the other was led by one of the local pastors. The teaching centered around the biblical teaching on family, which is a much-needed teaching. Listening to the women share their struggles was heartbreaking. It was teaching that everyone at the camps said was needed. God’s Plan for His Disciples was distributed with the plan that local leaders who have worked through the manual will follow up with those who received the book. Those living close to Adjumani have some access to biblical training, but those living in remote areas do not. It is too difficult and expensive for most refugees to travel; therefore, leaders must go to them with resources like God’s Plan for His Disciples, are essential for helping establish believers in the gospel and biblical truth." "Many refugees have fled to this area of Uganda to escape the violence in South Sudan. Our missionary friend who lives in Adjumani, says thousands of refugees live within a 50-kilometer radius around Adjumani. In many places in the world, refugees are forced to live in heavily guarded camps where they are not allowed to leave, but that is not the case in Uganda. The Ugandan government has opened large areas of land for refugees to settle, and they are free to go about with little to no restrictions. Still, each refugee is registered at a particular camp, where they must go to get any aid they are qualified to receive. I say all this to help understand why the refugees are spread over such a large area and how we have unrestricted access to the different camps.
We visited five different camps, some of which required a long trip by four-wheel vehicle into the “bush,” as they call it. In one camp, we were told we might see some elephants, which would have been exciting, but the camp residents hate them because they destroy their crops. We did not see any elephants. One camp we visited required us to cross the Nile River by ferry, which I am sure the ferry did not meet the safety requirements we have in the United States, but we made it. I learned the hard way that you could get a Land Cruiser stuck, but you can get out when enough people are willing to get dirty pushing the vehicle out of the mud. We got stuck twice." (Tom). There is much more to this report which I will provide tomorrow. From the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, He spoke of and to God as Father frequently. Even before what we consider His public ministry, Jesus expressed His relationship with God as His Father. “And He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father's house?” (Luke 2:49). This was at the age of twelve when He sat in the temple "among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (46).
As Jesus is speaking to the disciples in the hearing of the crowd in Matthew 5 to 7, He refers to God as "your Father" sixteen times. When we think of the teaching of this sermon, it is clear that our relationship with God is to be first established through a personal transaction that Jesus has purchased for us through His atoning death. Once that relationship is established (salvation) and we are given His Spirit, a character change takes place that reflects the One we now call Father. How do you look at your relationship with God? Do you still feel at a distance from Him or has His Fatherhood become a sweet reality? Think for a moment about the importance we place on material things, particularly in the Western World as it relates to the Church. Building committees, architects, and finance committees spend large amounts of time and resources making sure foyers, cafés, and gymnasiums are big enough and equipped with everything modern and trendy. Budgets for these things are often many times bigger than missions, evangelism, and Bibles budgets .
The last time I read the New Testament (this week); I could not find examples of what we do today. What I did find is the believers met in homes (Acts 2:46), in the temple or synagogue, or even by a riverside (16:13). Please do not misunderstand my point. There is no prohibition on any of these modern trends or facilities, but I ask, do these put the emphasis on our achievement or exalting the Lord Jesus? The greatest building that was ever constructed happened at the cross of Jesus and on the Day of Pentecost. Those redeemed by Jesus have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body which is the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Colossians 1:18). Make sure "that in everything He might be preeminent!" This structure will never be destroyed! The Lord's prayer in John 17 has often been referred to in previous blogs and I draw your attention to verses 11, 21-23 again where Jesus prays to the Father with a request that His disciples (then and now) "may be one, even as we are one."
How would this divine desire and passion affect the way we look at our relationships within the Church? In His first public sermon, Jesus likened anger toward a brother (or sister) equal to murder. We are often guilty of minimizing our attitudes, words, and actions toward others in the body of Christ as almost inconsequential or 'a small thing.' Are they? Jesus said, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23–24). Sadly, the Church has reversed Jesus' teaching on this matter and placed greater emphasis on being at church for worship rather than getting right with your brother or sister. We need to see this from God's point of view. Reconciliation is worship because it reflects God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). Who is the Spirit bringing to your attention right now that you need to humbly approach and make things right with them? DO NOT worry about their response. You do what is right. |
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