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I had the privilege of sitting at a table with a dear brother who had questions about a message he heard and how it applied to him and his family. We opened our Bibles together and began searching the Scriptures to discover answers to his questions. Later in the conversation he told how much he appreciated getting answers directly from the Bible, not my ideas or answers that were not anchored in God’s truth.
How different most churches and the lives of Christians would be if each of us went to Scripture first for answers rather than propagating general knowledge with no anchor in truth. Paul gave Timothy this advice, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Not all Scripture is easy to understand. Peter comments on some of Paul’s writings and says, “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15–16). Anyone who leans on the Holy Spirit for understanding of the Scriptures will gain insights the ordinary person will never have. Be that person!
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One development led to another, and that resource led to another opportunity, and on and on it goes. I have been working with NFI since September of 2008, and it has been a journey of watching God surprise us over and over. Along this journey, many things have happened that could only be the Lord leading us at each step. Let me give a few examples.
When I started, we had the original book, God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC). It is now in its 5th Edition and in nearly 25 languages. Along this journey, we were asked about how to disciple new believers in Jesus. GPHC was designed for church leaders and pastors, not for those new in the Christian faith. Tim Bunn, the author of GPHC, began thinking about establishing every believer, new and old, in the foundational truth of the gospel. This resulted in a new book, God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD). This book is now in 37 languages and more are being translated. Just a few years ago, someone asked about simplifying GPHD so it could be understood by children and young people, God’s Plan for Young Disciples (GPYD). The original idea was to get it into schools and churches in America. That idea has been superseded by many churches realizing they do not have good biblical training material for this age group, and it is being translated into many languages. Now we are developing coloring books that teach the basic principles of the gospel to “Little Disciples” and “Toddler Disciples.” WE NEED YOU! Because of this exponential group in this ministry, we are in great need for those who will pray for us. More than ever, we realize that every step of this growth must be led by the Lord! Printing these resources continues to be a major part of our financial needs. If you are interested in knowing more, please contact us at [email protected].  “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3 “God’s design is to bless His people as they follow the way of faith that Abraham followed. The chart above is from our manual, “God’s Plan for His Church.” It pictures how God works in our lives from the inside-out. God has an order and design for our lives, and His Word reveals that He first desires to work in our lives personally, then move out to work in our marriages, families and churches. We must follow His design to build strong marriages and families that in turn build strong churches that change the world by His grace and for His Glory. Please join me in prayer, as we walk by faith and trust in God’s promises and Word to empower marriages and families in Uganda & Tanzania, June 6 - 16.” (Randy) A few days ago, I was asked to mail a sample of our English books to someone in Kansas. That same day I mailed several packages of books and somehow put Spanish books in his box instead of English. Once the tracking number is in my system, I always send it to the receiver so they can keep an eye on the shipment and include my phone number if needed.
I received a text message today saying that the box arrived, but it had Spanish books, not English. I immediately called to apologize for the “mistake” and promised to send another set of English books tomorrow. He had such a beautiful attitude and said he would find a Spanish church and pastor to pass them on to. Shortly after I returned home from a Bible Study, I received another phone call from him saying that he already found a pastor who has a prison ministry to Spanish speaking inmates and had been looking for discipling material that was suitable for this kind of work. Our book, God’s Plan for His Disciples (El Plan de Dios para los Discípulos de Cristo) was exactly what he needed. I will be supplying what he needs for this vital ministry. The grace of God turns mistakes into huge blessings! David Hesselgrave wrote the foreword to a book, The Ralph D. Winter Story, and gaves us an insight into this mission minded man. He had already come to the attention of the mission’s world when he entered Fuller Seminary. Hesselgrave asked for Winter’s view of graduate students, and he responded:
“After coming here, I soon found out that most graduate-level students think that the Christian mission is important but simple, and that mission courses are “Mickey Mouse.” So, my objective is to demonstrate that, whether viewed as theology or science, there is very little that one can learn that is not applicable to the worldwide mission of the Church. In no time at all, students are reading materials they have never seen, pondering problems they have never considered, and finding solutions they have never contemplated.” Until you have gone on the field and seen the challenges, been in other cultures, listened to the hearts of believers who have nothing of our Western comforts, prayed and worshipped with them, your heart will think missions is simple. It is simple only in the sense that God has one message – JESUS! It is complicated if we try to use Western methods. God’s biblical methods adapt the one message to every culture. Just this morning I glanced at the news and saw that Christians were being killed in a South Asian country where we have trained and discipled pastors. In fact, we have made plans to return in August for another training and need to print 1,500 more books, not just for this conference, but so these pastors can have extra training material to take back with them and teach their congregations. How are we to understand these polarized events?
Peter has an exhortation that is worthy of our consideration. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:12–14). How would these verses help us pray more biblically about those we know are suffering for their faith and the name of Jesus? We should suffer together as with them (1 Corinthians 12:26). But that is only part of the picture. How we suffer and represent Christ must go together, realizing that “the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon” us. Do they feel this? Tomorrow is Memorial Day in America when we pause to remember those who have fought for our freedoms and sacrificed their lives in the process. We should be thankful! At the same time, many of our biblical convictions are under attack and our freedom to exercise these God-given practices are not guaranteed. Whether they are protected or taken away should not change our heart and commitment to stand by God’s truth.
Scripture makes it clear that there are others we should remember. “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). The national “Memorial Day” does not contain the same importance as this injunction in Hebrews 13:7. This verse exhorts us to consider their “way of life and imitate their faith.” How did they obey God’s word and display faith in the face of adversity? What decisions did they make that caused them to sacrifice comforts for the sake of God’s will and the name of Jesus? How did they serve others in a way that exalted Jesus Christ and demonstrated true humility. Those are qualities to imitate! Tom and two others are in Ecuador and the Lord has given them the opportunity to present God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) in several churches. This evening their arrangements took them to a church with many young people. This is a high priority to us! We want to capture their interest and attention early, so their minds and hearts are shaped by God’s truth, not the trends of this world.
Remember the exhortation of Solomon who said, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). At a young age, God captured the heart of David, and he reflected of what the Lord meant to him as a young man. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2–5). Is your heart captured by the goodness of the Lord and His plans for you? “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:7–10).
In a world where there is chaos everywhere and no evidence of peace, it is hard for us to imagine a world and universe where everything is restored to God’s original purpose and plan. Those of us who have received the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we know that we have been “redeemed…forgiven and…grace lavished on us.” There is a day coming when God will have “all things” reconciled to Himself. Sin, evil, death, Hades, and Satan will be eternally confined in the lake of fire. With such a view of the final state of all things, what sort of people should we be? Peter states the same outlook: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!” (2 Peter 3:11–12). Thursday evenings are always very special. As I have mentioned before, we gather for prayer from three different states in America via Zoom and share what God is doing. This evening was no exception! Our time covered prayer for our families, churches, and many surprising events that God has allowed us to participate in.
One of the most exciting possibilities is taking part in a conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand, July 16th to 19th, 2026. I mentioned this yesterday but learned more about it today. The event is just for Hmong people who gather for spiritual growth and fellowship. They anticipate 10,000 to attend next year. For us, this is a challenge we have never faced. There is one absolute we can count on. If God is in our participating, He will work out the details. We closed our time of prayer with these words from David, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalm 108:5). |
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