What do you collect?

During my ministry years of “globe-trotting” around the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East, I was invited by a long-time friend and supporter to visit his large architectural firm.  His firm was located in the southeastern part of the USA in an upscale office building.  My good friend (who is also the owner and CEO of the firm) gave me a tour of the entire enterprise that day.  During the tour, he introduced me to all of his staff.  As we walked around from office to office, and from cubical to cubical, I met quite a few of his employees.  He always introduced me as “a missionary who travels prolifically into many countries around the world.”  This generated some very interesting conversations with each new person that I met. 

Toward the end of the tour, I arrived at the office of a middle-aged man who shook my hand and listened to my friend introduce me as a “world traveler”.  This gentleman smiled as he shared with me his own passion for world travel.  He shared with me some of the countries where he himself had visited.  Then, he started showing me some of his collections from the various countries where he had travelled.  He had a menagerie of various knick-knacks from all over the world.  Then, he leaned back in his office chair, looked me in the eye and said, "So, from all of your travels, what do you collect?"  I truly felt like I was listening to my own self speak as I blurted out without the slightest hesitation: "Lost souls!  I collect lost souls!" 

I rejoiced to hear myself say this because I knew that my time spent “hanging out with Jesus” was the only reason that this was in my heart of hearts.  When Jesus Christ is our Mentor, He changes our worldview, our value system and our mission in life.  I am ashamed to confess to you that I could write many more short stories that reveal how often my heart strays from Christ and pursues “soul diminishing success” of this world.  I too have many empty and hallow collections of the stuff of life gathering dust in the closet of my heart just like so many other Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.  But, praise be to God, my Friend, Jesus Christ, is relentless in pursuing my heart and changing my value system “so that He might have first place in everything” (Colossians 1:18). 

Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”.  There is no higher calling than pursuing the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of God is built brick-by-brick of the precious materials of formerly lost souls who are now found.  It is the love of Christ that is the mortar that holds these bricks together forever in His Kingdom. 

Dear friend, what do you collect?  Wood, hay and straw, or gold, silver and precious gems – lost souls for the Master!  Here is my challenge to you and me:  let's you and I press onward toward being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to this “perverse and sinful generation” in order to gather in those lost souls that Jesus has already destined to be a part of his precious international collection.  Men and women, boys and girls from every tongue, tribe, people and nation to the glory of God through Christ!    

A Bible, a Basketball and a Loving Heart

This is a historical-fiction, short-story written by Rob Brannon.  This story is based on the true story told by Dr. Naismith of his invention of basketball and his interaction with one of his young men, Frank Mahan, who first played his game invention that fateful day of December 21, 1891 at the Springfield, Massechussats YMCA. :

Hello!  Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Frank Mahan, and I lived in Springfield, Massachusetts back in 1891.  I grew up in North Carolina, but then moved to Massachusetts as a teenager.  One day I decided to join the PE class at the local YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in Springfield.  In the summer time, this PE class was really fun.  We played Football, Rugby and Soccer for many fun-filled hours.  It was great!  However, as winter arrived here in the northeast, it got too cold to play the outdoor sports and since there were no indoor sports back then, the PE class at the YMCA got really boring! 

Our PE teacher that winter at the YMCA was a very interesting young man named, James Naismith.  Like me, he did not grow up in Springfield, Massachusetts.  He was originally from Canada.  However, he moved to Springfield to help kids like me learn "clean living through sports" at the YMCA.  You see, Mr. Naismith  was not only a college trained PE teacher, but he was also a Presbyterian minister.  I found Jim Naismith easy to talk with. He looked like the highly moral—but in no sense stuffy—man that he was. His blue eyes were kind, with crinkles at the corners. He had a heavy mustache, which looked prickly. His head was a bit square, as was his stocky, straight body. He had cauliflower ears, squashed from much boxing.  He was a strong, tough man that would sometimes show up to class with a couple of shiners (black-eyes) that he earned from a rough game of football.³  I rather liked Mr. Naismith and respected him, but I tried not to let anyone know it because I had to protect my rowdy, “tough guy” image.  My peers looked up to me as a ring-leader in our boisterous class of neighborhood ruffians who made up this YMCA PE class.

Rumor had it that Mr. Naismith had been challenged by his boss to invent an indoor game for kids to play in the winter.  It didn't take long to discover that the rumor was true.  Mr. Naismith kept experimenting on our PE class with several goofy and unworkable games based on bits and pieces of Rugby, Football, Soccer and Lacrosse.  It was a miserable joke being a guinea-pig for his game ideas!

Then one day it happened!  The unexpected, the miraculous!  Let me take you with me on that fateful day in the world of sports history:  On that cold winter day, I was the first young man to arrive in the gym.  I was smiling as I thought of the kid that I had just popped with my rolled up towel in the locker room.  However, as I looked around the gym that day, my smile fell off my face as fast as it had come.  I looked around that gym, and I saw the signs of another silly sports-experiment being planned for my PE class by Mr. Naismith.  There on the walls hung two peach-baskets nailed onto the balcony too high to reach.  When I looked at Mr. Naismith, I knew that my conclusions were correct.  He looked uncharacteristically nervous and insecure.  Yes, he was trying again to sell us on one of his foolish little game ideas.  So, I said to him sarcastically, “Huh! Another new game!”¹

He looked down at his feet when I said this, as if I had just broken his fragile confidence with my statement.  I felt a strange pleasure in causing him pain, but at the same time, I felt upset for hurting him.  After all, he really was a nice guy that seemed to care more about us boys than even his ambition to invent a game.  After an awkward pause, he looked up and stared at me directly in the eyes and smiled as he tacked the 13 rules of his game onto the bulletin board in front of me.  Soon the whole class arrived.  With renewed confidence, Mr. Naismith somehow mustered the courage to explain his game.

As for the game rules, they were weird!   Really weird!  He read us these 13 silly little rules about how to play a game where you throw a ball into a couple of old peach-baskets nailed to the wall!  Ha!  Not me!  I am not going to play this idiotic game!  But, then I reluctantly decided to give-it-a-go because there was no other games to play indoors on that winter day.

With a sparkle in his eyes, Mr. Naismith threw the ball into the air as I tried to tap it to my team.  For the next 2 hours we learned this “peach-basket ball game”, and we all became instantly mesmerized by the amazing dynamics of the game.  The challenge for each team was to throw a soccer ball from player-to-player in order to ultimately score a point by arching the ball into one of the peach-baskets nailed to the wall. 

To my great surprise, I loved the game!  I didn't want to stop playing!  There was only 5 seconds left in our final game.  I yelled for the ball.  They passed me the ball.  I stood at half-court and shot the ball at the basket just before Mr. Naismith blew his whistle signaling the end of the game.  The ball arched high into the air.  All eyes watched with excitement as the ball dropped into the peach-basket for a dramatic last-second winning shot!  And the rest of the story is history.  I was now deeply in love with this exciting new game invention! 

As we played this new game, week-after-week, hundreds of people from the community would come to watch us play!  It became the craze of the town.  I hate to confess it, but I stole Mr. Naismith's 13 original rules that he had tacked to the bulletin board in the gym.  I thought that these original rules would be a great souvenir to have as game was becoming so famous.  However, my love for Mr. Naismith, and his brilliant new sports invention drove me to return the stolen rules to him.  He was so relieved to have his souvenir-rules back, and he thanked me instead of rebuking me.  Caught up in the emotion of the moment, I declared to him: “Mr. Naismith, you should name your new game: “Naismith Ball”!  However, he laughed and smiled at me as he humbly said, “No, I believe that name would kill any game!”  His cunning, yet humble comment reminded me of why I liked him so much.  Then all of a sudden, out-of-the-blue came the realization that this game had a basket and a ball as the core equipment of the game.  “Eureka!”  I blurted out.  “Mr. Naismith, I know what you should name your new game!  You should call it: “Basket Ball!” As you know, James Naismith really liked my suggestion of the name: “Basketball” and to this day that is what the sport is called. 

So, there is my story of how basketball was invented, named and how a creative young preacher/PE teacher changed my life by pouring his love into my life through a sport that the world now calls, “Basketball!” 

___________________________

References: 

1.   Naismith, James, Basketball: Its Origin and Development (The University of Nebraska Press, 1996) pages 53-55.

2.   Wikipedia, James Naismith, May 19, 2011.

3.   Naismith, Grace, Sports Illustrated, article: “Father Basketball”, January 31, 1955; from the www.sportsillustrated.com vault.

WARNING: Beware of Rob Bell's Book: "Love Wins" !!

As an Evangelist, converted to Christ out of false teaching, I want to send my fellow Evangelists a very strong warning to compare Rob Bell's book "Love Wins"  to Scripture! Rob Bell is innovating and recycling false teachings about God, Christ, Salvation, Heaven, Hell, etc...  These are all doctrines that are essential to orthodox evangelism.  Beware, Beloved! 

It is very alarming to me (mind boggling) how so many good people are seduced into following false teaching when the book is creative and well written (e.g. "The Shack" on the Trinity).

Beloved, check out this link:

http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/03/23/panel-discussion-rob-bell-and-love-wins/

"Form Up!" by Pastor Rick Oglesby

The elevator hissed open. I strode in, turned around and leaned against the back wall looking forward. The car filled, all of us standing in a tight circle, unusually facing in. The door sucked closed and locked in that thick fog of uneasy quietness. Everyone steadily looked at no one. Someone cleared their throat as the car jerked upward.

I’ve always had a bold streak.  I’ve always disliked quiet, compartmentalized elevator rides. So I went proactive and fulfilled a long restrained desire. “Thank you for coming today ladies and gentlemen. You’re probably wondering why I called this meeting…” Laughter shattered the heavy eighth floor silence as the place rocked like a U2 concert!

Igniting a conversation can launch a relationship – perhaps one that will lead the way to salvation. But you don’t have to take an elevator – here are some simple questions that you can use to kick-start a conversation. They’re called the FORM. Nearly everyone likes to talk about themselves, so ask them open ended questions about their…

·         Family:   Tell me about your kids. Where do you guys live? How is it?

·         Occupation:   What business are you in? What challenges do you face?

·         Recreation:   What do you do to relax? How’d you get into that?

·         Money:   How’s real estate in your area? What’s your local economy doing?

As my kids grew up, we trained them to FORM others to help them get on in the world and to lay a cornerstone for redemptive relationships.  They would select a person in the room, go stick out their little hand,  shake and jump in.  When they returned, we’d review their experience.  Today they can meet and greet anyone.

Practice “FORM” when you’re in line at McDonald’s.  Try it at the Target check out. Why not introduce FORM to your small group or class?  Model it, have someone else do it, then explain it.  Train your group to FORM, then evaluate,  celebrate and improve.

Imagine your congregation trained to FORM.  What incredible opportunities for witness would occur. How much more welcome visitors would feel.  Self-confidence about connecting with others would rise.

Family, Occupation, Recreation and Money – the threads with which we weave life can tie great knots of connection with people who need Christ.  FORM UP!

by Pastor Rick Oglesby

Pastor in Wellington, Alabama

"Prayer as a Mighty Weapon of Spiritual Warfare" by Rev. Lee Whitworth

In II Corinthians 4, we are told that there is a spiritual element to the lost man remaining lost, even when presented with the Gospel message. The god of this world blinds his mind, so that the light won't get into his heart.

The good news is, in the next few verses, God does sovereignly shine the light of  truth into the hearts of individuals, and they are marvelously converted.

That whole "light shining into the heart thing" comes from the mouth of the preacher (Rom. 10). So, obviously, the people of God bear responsibility to share the good news with the lost man.

There is an essential step that precedes that telling:  PRAYER!

So, I suggest we carpet bomb our culture with prayer. Here's a tactic we're using in our church.

We are in a Mormon community. In our town and surrounding communities, there are 83 Mormon congregations called Wards. We have put the locations of these congregations on cards and distributed them to our church people, with the instruction to pray regularly and tenaciously for these wards. Our people are going to these wards, walking around, even kneeling, praying that the bishops and their people would 'accidentally' open their Bibles and be grabbed by a verse that won't let them escape.

What if every Bible-teaching church in every city would spend time praying for the lost church congregations in their community? Mormons, church of Rome, Jehovah's Witness, Hari Krishna's, liberal churches. God, who is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, hears these prayers, and I believe could rock our world if we cry out for his help.

Rev. Lee Whitworth

BMW Utah Pastor 

The Lost Poem...Found!

My wife's grandfather, Floyd Mefferd, died in 1993.  We was a godly man and a humble servant of Christ.  His heart had known great joys and great tragedy during his long pilgrimage here of earth.   Through it all, He kept his focus on Jesus Christ, His Savior and His Master.  The good works of godly men will forever follow them as a testament to the glory of Jesus Christ who alone is good.

Last week, Floyd's son, Rev. Lynn E. Mefferd, was sorting through some of the belongings that Floyd left behind, and he came across this precious poem handwritten by Floyd.  Floyd died over 17 years ago, yet his evangelist heart still speaks to us today through this lost poem.  Dear Fellow Evangelist, may your life and works one day leave a similar legacy...a legacy of a heart that beats for the salvation of lost souls:

What Will I Do?

By Floyd Mefferd

What will I do with Jesus?

This is the Question that came to me.

What will I do with Jesus?

He who died to set men free.

He brought the way of salvation,

To us who were born in sin.

To all comes the sweet invitation,

“Come unto Me and I’ll make you clean.”

I said to myself, “I’ll wait awhile,

I’m sure there’s plenty of time.

How can I bother with self denial,

While my life is still in its prime?

Christ answered in words Oh so tender,

“Dear one, you don’t understand;

Greater life to you I will render,

If you’ll let Me take hold of your hand.”

Then I bowed myself before Him,

Acknowledging my sin and shame.

Now former things grew strangely dim,

As into my heart He came.

How wonderful now to share God’s love,

With others along life’s way,

Bringing showers of blessings from heaven above,

If they too only trust and obey.

How about you dear friend of mine,

Have you found this wonderful peace?

Jesus invites you to come and find,

Real life, that will ever increase.

Surrender your will to His will today,

For His way is by far the best;

Just trust in the Christ of Calvary,

Who will give you sweet peace and rest.

"KNOWING WHEN IT’S TIME TO GO" by Rev. Ron Thompson

                In 1962 Bo Belinsky was a rookie pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, and made history by pitching a no hitter… the first in history by a rookie in the west.  He was the toast of the town… for a year…   Within a couple of years however he was again in the newspaper, and I still remember the wording of the terse yet clever headline announcing his probable trade from the Angels for his woeful underperformance… it read “BO TO GO YES NO YES NO!”  It underscored the uncertainty of the moment.

                Fast forward to 1982.  I was a 31 year old church planter that was living out my dream (and God’s call) in launching and Pastoring a thriving ministry in northern Utah.  In the midst of God’s blessing, I was struggling with the same uncertainty that marked the end of Bo Belinsky’s career in Los Angeles… only the name was different.  “Ron to go yes no yes no?”  The question weighed heavily on my heart and mind, though after careful soul searching, I was aware of no known sin in my life… on the contrary, there was much spiritual fruit being harvested for God’s glory. 

                What was wrong?  I slipped away for a day of prayer and fasting, and at the end of my time I had the answer, and the answer was… nothing was wrong.  It was time to go.

                It was my first experience with leaving.  Until that point in my life, I had always been focused on going… to Bible School… to summer ministries… to the mission field.  Now it was time to leave, and leaving was very hard!

                Looking back at that important juncture in my ministry and marriage (it was very difficult for my wife Wanda, as well), I observed two important things that helped me in future ‘leaving moments’ as well as advising fellow servants facing similar questions:

                First, God does not always call us to finish what we start.  He calls us to be faithful… faithful to His calling, and faithful to His leading.  I had assumed that God would allow me to take the church to a certain point (a point imagined in MY mind) before He would lead me elsewhere.  I was wrong.  I fought the timing of my departure for several frustrating months before surrendering.  MEMO TO ME:  Do not allow my expectations or presuppositions to skew my sense of God’s timing or God’s will.  I am very, very dispensable.   I am very, very replaceable. 

                The second, and perhaps the most important issue, centered on something that I had not noticed had gone missing in my life:  My joy in ministry went AWOL!   I explained it away by reasoning that I had been very busy, or I was tired.  The joy spoken of in Psalm 16:11 simply was not there.  Though I loved my congregation, the joy was not there.  Though I loved the ministry, the joy was not there.  Though I loved God, the joy was not there.

                I came to realize there is a great joy visited on our hearts when we surrender unconditionally to the leading of God… AWAY from that which we loved and sacrificed for. 

                We left the people we loved in the fall of 1982.  We followed God’s leading to plant another church in a community in southern Utah where there was no Bible believing church.  We left a church that was thriving for a community that had nothing… and the joy returned!  We found people we loved in our new community.  God quickly  provided a wonderful, godly, Bible teaching pastor to replace me at my previous ministry.  He is a close friend to this day.

                Be careful to investigate the difference between your expectations and God’s leading.  Pay attention to your joy (or the absence of it).  This is where I found the answer to the question… should I go, yes no yes no?

 by Rev. Ron Thompson, Executive Director, Tentmaker Bible Mission

"Change is Good!" by Paul Seger

Change is NOT a four letter word!

A motto for the city of Luxembourg is MIR WOLLE BLEIVE WAS MIR SIN. This is etched in stone on a building.  It means “We wish to remain as we are.” At least they admit it.  Many of us do all we can to resist change.  Change is viewed as a bad thing.

That is a strange position for a Christian to take in view of our theology.   Repentance is a 180 degree change of direction. Regeneration and sanctification are all about change.  The main goal of discipleship and counseling is to bring about change in the life of a believer.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says that the believer is a “new creation.”  We have an unchanging God who brings about change all the time.

Intrinsic to the definition of leadership is the idea of change.  Leading is about going somewhere.  If you look out the window of your car and the scenery is not changing, you are standing still.  The very activity of leading others demands change.  It is the leader’s responsibility to be looking over the horizon to see what is coming and to determine the direction for the future.  To get to that horizon will mean change.



But change makes people nervous. One way to minimize anxiety is to assure people there are some anchor points.  Some constants for your church are truth, mission, and values.  Doctrine is not up for grabs.  The purpose statement of an organization is a north star that provides long-term continuity.

And values articulate the things that are important.  Values provide banks for the organizational river of the church or ministry. Any change initiative should be preceded by a clear statement of the things that will NOT change.  But after that, go for it.

The problem is not change.  The problem is what is being changed.  I don’t know who to credit for the following statement, but it is profound:  ”Some churches die because they change what they should never change.  Some churches die because they refuse to change what they are free to change.”  The programs and strategies of an organization are merely vehicles to accomplish the mission and vision.  The important issue is not the strategy; it is the end goal.

Instead of resisting change, embrace it.  Love it.  Do it.  It isn’t a dirty word.  It is another word for progress.

WHEN TO CHANGE:

The big question is:  How do you know when to bring about change?  May I suggest that there five instances.

1.  When your environment changes: The horse and buggy don’t do well on a 12-lane interstate highway. A changing environment brings about new opportunities.  In my world of missions it looks like this:  Because of the upsurge of social networking, there is tremendous potential for leveraging that medium for recruiting missionaries.  Because of the expansion of distance learning, there are many more Bible students and thus many more potential missionaries. We can either ignore these realities or change our approaches to recruiting.  We are changing.

2.  When people change:  There have always been complaints about a “generation gap.”  At one level it does exist.  Each year the Benoit College describes the incoming freshmen.  This is their observation about the graduating class of 2014:

• Does not know how to write cursive
• Never uses snail mail
• Finds email too slow
• Thinks Al Gore has always been animated
• Thinks “Caramel macchiato” and “venti half-caf vanilla latte” have always been street corner lingo.
• Thinks computers have always had a CD-ROM disk drive.
• Thinks Russians and Americans have always been living together in space.

It seems obvious that this incoming group of college freshmen have a different view on the world.

3. When the vision changes:  The job of a leader is to “articulate and activate the vision.”  It is his job to point to the next spot on the horizon and help others get there. That assumes there will be change.  If you are in a car looking out the window and the scenery is not changing, then you are not going anywhere.  Heading forward demands change.

4.  When there is success: An organization is never as vulnerable to failure as when it has just succeeded.  Or to put it another way, success is dangerous.  Once we are at the top of a mountain we tend to relax.  But it is at that moment that we are susceptible to sliding off the other side.  There is something intrinsically good about the struggle to get to the top.  That is why there must always be a new pinnacle in mind before we reach our present goal.  It is counter-intuitive to be changing things when things are going well. But it is dangerous to ever get to the top.

5.  For change sake:   There is value in changing just to be changing.  The reason we feel stiff after driving 10 hours is because we have not been moving around.  The same thing happens in an organization.  Sometimes there is value in changing things just to stay flexible.  The church that has never changed a thing for ten years will struggle with even the slightest change.  I have a friend who moves the furniture around when his family is out of the house.  He just wants to remind them that things will not stay the same.  So, yes, there is value in change for change sake.

By Paul Seger

General Director

Biblical Ministries Worldwide

"WE DELIVER" by Paul Seger

WE DELIVER

Years ago, Pizza Hut had a business model that required sitting down in their restaurant if you wanted your pepperoni fix.  Then Dominos Pizza came along as competition with a different model:  they deliver.  Just let them know where you are and they will bring it to you.  I was downtown Atlanta watching fireworks once when a Dominos delivery guy walked by with a stack of pizzas.  What tremendous  entrepenueral spirit, to deliver pizzas in a crowd of ten thousand people. 

That is a picture of the church in evangelism.  There are some churches that hold to the "Pizza Hut" model.  If you want to know about God, show up in their restaurant on Sunday morning from 11:00 to 12:00.  That is the only way you are going to get the gospel.  But other churches have followed the "Dominos" approach:  they deliver.  They realize that not many people are interested in coming to church.  Therefore, they take the gospel to where people are.  The Great Commission uses the word "GO."  God must want more of the Dominos strategy for evangelism. 

by Paul Seger

General Director

Biblical Ministries Worldwide 

Does the Gospel Message Hang on Theatrics or Theology?

As Evangelists, are we called to be "Producers of Creative Theatrical Gimmicks" or "Proclaimers of Clear Gospel Theology"?  In other words, is the eternal destiny of the lost world hinging on how creative and ingenious you and I can be in our presentation of the gospel.  Is it really our role, as Evangelists, to "soup-up" the gospel with sensational and tantalizing presentations in order to manipulate people into the Kingdom.  And furthermore, is it really possible to manipulate someones heart to believe in Christ?   The way you answer these questions reveals your own understanding of the nature of God as revealed in His Word.  Theology is by definition the Study of God, and evangelism is by definition the proclamation of the biblical gospel from the foundation of solid theology.  Therefore, true evangelism is evangelism that springs forth from solid biblical theology.  It is an evangelism that is squarely seated on the solid foundation of the Spirit of God Himself, and in no way emanating from the spirit of any man.  The words and ways of men are just that: the words and ways of men.  The Word and Way of God are Truth and Power and Salvation to the totally depraved, blind and helpless heart of each sinner whom God chooses to awaken from the dead through the simple preaching of the gospel through simple Evangelists like you and me.  Only God can open the eyes of lost humanity.  He does not need our gimmicks.  Moreover, it is God alone who is the Star in all of this...and not you or me.  We are simply humble servants - Stewards called to serve the Greatest King:  King Jesus!

Am I saying that creativity and ingenuity have no place in the presentation of the gospel?  God forbid!  By no means!  Those who know me best, know that I love using "right-brained" creativity as a tool for sharing Christ.  In fact, I have a website:  http://www.writebrainer.org/ that catalogs various creative productions that I use for sharing Christ.  Creativity is a gift from God.  "In the beginning, God created".  We are given the joy of "taking dominion over and subduing the earth" and using everything we can to point to salvation in Jesus Christ.  Here is what I am saying:  God is the only one who can save a soul and awaken the sinner from being dead in sins and trespasses.  If we believe this, then we will no longer trust in our own selves to save souls.  Rather we will trust in God alone to do what only He can do in the first place.  He is mighty to save and He alone is the Savior of the world.

In I Corinthians 2:1-5, the Apostle Paul put it this way:  "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

Here, Beloved, are some practical exhortations: 

• Be a Theologian-Evangelist!  Give yourselves first to understanding and knowing Jesus Christ as He has revealed Himself in His Word.  Study hard!  Study long!  Study to understand for yourself first.  Dig deep roots down into the rich soil of Holy Writ.  Study Greek and Hebrew if you are at all linguistic.  The deeper you go in your knowledge of God's Word, the more agile in battle you will be for wielding the Sword of the Lord!  Romans 1:16 says that the gospel itself has the power of God to save.  That is why we must study it and know it...so that we can accurately proclaim it.  God's Spirit takes God's Word and He applies it to the lost soul by means of the message of the Evangelist.  Listen to C.H. Spurgeon's thoughts on the importance of an Evangelist knowing solid theology:  "It cannot do any hurt to the most lively evangelist to be also a sound theologian, and it may often be the means of saving him from gross blunders.  Nowdays, we hear men (evangelists) tear a single sentence of Scripture from its connection, and cry, 'Eureka! Eureka!'  as if they had found a new truth; and yet they have not discovered a diamond, but a piece of broken glass." 
• Be a Spirit-filled Evangelist!  As opposed to being a manipulator of men.  Be Spirit-filled so that God-given avenues of creativity may flow through your evangelism (Eph.5:18).  To be Spirit-filled is to be a man controlled by the Spirit of God, rather than to be one who depends on his own, impotent skills and abilities.  Jesus said that without Him, we can do nothing (Keyword: NOTHING!).  

I will close this blog entry with a quote from J.I. Packer's classic book, Knowing God:  "It is not for us to imagine that we can prove the truth of Christianity by our own arguments; nobody can prove the truth of Christianity except the Holy Spirit, by His own almighty work of renewing the blind heart.  It is the sovereign prerogative of Christ's Spirit to convince men's consciences of the truth of Christ's gospel; and Christ's human witnesses must learn to ground their hopes of success not on clever presentation of the truth by man, but on powerful demonstration of truth by the Spirit".

Lord, teach us to depend on You alone for the salvation of lost souls.  Forgive us for being so arrogant as to think that we can manipulate anyone into the Kingdom of God by our own slick presentations.  Help us to learn your Word thoroughly and to depend on your Spirit completely.  In the name of Christ.  Amen.

"Prevailing Prayer of the Evangelist" Paul Seger and Pat Cross

Greetings Co-workers,

A few days ago I sent out a video greeting:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8VFUQ74xY0    I mentioned Patrick Cross in the video and received the following note from him after that.  Thought you would want to read his thoughts on this topic.  

Paul Seger

Bibilcal Ministries Worldwide

General Director

Hey Paul,
 
Just wanted to say thank you for the kind words you shared on your video.
 
It was perfect timing for me; On those rare occasions, when I did not want to run, I made my self get out of the house and go out to one of my favourite trails.  The inversion was particularly bad that day (when warm air traps the pollution and the mountains prevent it from escaping).  It was what they call a red-air day in Utah, when out door activity is not recommended unless you are in the higher elevations above the smog.  I could not even see the base of the mountain behind our home which is less than 2 miles and I was just worn out and looking for an excuse not to run.
 
I told myself the first step is the hardest and it is history after that, you just keep going even when you don't feel like because you have committed yourself.  I started on one of the scenic trails but I could not see anything for the smog.  The switch back continued to climb and the air started to improve and so did my mental out look.  When I hit the ridge at about 6,000 ft. it was an awesome view; running through the pines covered in snow, looking down on wheeler creek cascading over the rocks, and a brilliant blue sky above.  I started accelerating on all the uphill sections and just free-wheeling down hills on the soft snow covered trails.  I had one of my best runs in weeks on a day when I did not particularly want to go.
 
I came home that evening and watch your video and it made me think of how prayer is enjoyed once you get down on your knees and start climbing the switch back up the hill toward our LORD's awesome presence.  Once you get above the smog you can see all His beauty and the things He has created for our enjoyment.  If you stay in the valley or worse yet never get out the door, you'll never experience those heights of joy!  The first several miles were work but the better part of the run was sheer enjoyment that left me exhilarated looking forward to next runners high.  Running is not merely putting one foot in front of the other it is when your mind, body, and soul are all mysteriously carrying you down the trail effortlessly.  Neither is prayer mere words but it is when your soul is being nourished by the very presence of the All Mighty and when your thirsty soul is quenched but is seeking greater depths still (A. W. Tozer).
 
I am trying to apply the same lessons to my prayer life and now using my times on the trails for praise, adoration, and worship.
Thanks for encouraging us to pray.

Paddy  (Patrick Cross)

"Maximum Thrust" by Paul Seger

The Shuttle
Riding a Space Shuttle into orbit is a wild and exciting ride! It would have been sad and shortsighted indeed for NASA to build a Space Shuttle while never thinking about how it would get the craft into orbit. It is well designed to accomplish its mission, but it would struggle to get up into orbit on its own. It needs something called “solid rocket boosters” to get it off the ground and give maximum thrust until it reaches its breathtaking momentum.

The Missionary
For a missionary, the sending/commissioning church is the solid rocket booster. As a church equips one of its families for vocational ministry in missions, one of the most meaningful steps it can take is to launch and push what is commonly called the “deputation process” – when missionaries raise prayer and financial support from independent churches.

Often missionaries without this boost take months to get off the ground and years to get up into orbit. The reason many families don’t even try to go into missions is the trauma of the deputation process. A sending church can make a huge difference. How can church leaders help?

Obtaining Fuel
No Fuel Without Familiarity. People and churches really get behind people they know. If the missionary has been trained in your church, this is not a problem. If the missionary was trained elsewhere, bring him onto your staff for an apprenticeship lasting at least 6-12 months. This will give him experience in ministry, expose the strengths, and build enthusiasm as the church prepares to send one of its own to serve the Lord overseas.

Conserve Fuel For Your Mission Lineup. What missionaries are you planning to send out in the next five years? In order to give them a meaningful boost, you may have to decline support to new missionaries whom you don’t know. When your own people are ready, you can pick up a greater percentage of their support because you haven’t been giving out fuel to every shuttle passing by.

Develop A “Missions Fuel Co-Op.”
Spearhead a mission consortium of like-minded churches in your area (within 50 miles). To start a co-op, a pastor can write to as many contacts as he has and recommend the missionary. A church can also throw a get-acquainted luncheon for area pastors to meet the couple. A missionary’s travel costs, time, and fatigue during deputation and furlough will be greatly diminished, and the pool of churches will actually see far more of the missionary family since they’re not out on the road all the time.

Call On Known Fuel Suppliers To Get Help. If you don’t want to start a co-op, a pastor can write to as many contacts as he has and recommend the missionary. A church can also throw a get-acquainted luncheon for area pastors to meet the couple.

THE STROMBERG MISSION:
By way of illustration, we would refer you to Covington Bible Church in Covington, Virginia. After Fred and Cindy Stromberg completed their Bible College training, Pastor Howard Merrell asked Fred to serve as an intern at the church. The couple was clearly committed to missions, and in July Fred and Cindy joined Biblical Ministries Worldwide bound for our church-planting ministry Honduras.

Covington Bible Church then created the position of Assistant Pastor/Missionary On Deputation, in which Fred began to serve. Pastor Merrell almost immediately sent out letters to a number of area pastors inviting them to a luncheon in October, explaining Covington Bible Church’s vision for reaching Honduras and introducing the Strombergs to those who attended. They provided a booklet enclosing relevant materials with the cover letter on the next page.

By April, the Strombergs had raised well over half their support, and in that month, Pastor Merrell again called on area pastors to examine Fred and ordain him for the ministry. The Strombergs intend to leave for their language training on the field in early the next year. With the boost their church and its leaders have given them, they are well on their way.

Churches are solid rocket boosters for missions. What might your church do a little better in its missions program to provide maximum thrust for your people that God calls to the mission field?

by Paul Seger

General Director

Biblical Ministries Worldwide

"Answering the Atheist" by Patrick Cross

The Patrick Cross Family

Answering the Atheist

When we encounter an atheist it can be easy to be at a loss for words so I often ask them what their proofs are for the non existence of God.  I usually find out that they are mad at something they feel God should have prevented and since He did not, He must not exist.  Others will point out all the negative things that have happened in the name of religion but in all I find out very quickly they have not thought out their arguments very clearly and it takes more faith be an atheist than a theist!  I want to address some of the most common “supposed” proofs for atheism and give you a rational argument for refuting it.

1.  You cannot prove God’s existence.  So what?  That does not prove His nonexistence.  No one can claim to know everything on every topic so even the most ardent atheist would have to admit that it is possible for God to exist.  The truth is that we can empirically prove very little in life.  We cannot prove with absolute certainty that the sun will rise tomorrow, or that we are who we say we are, or that any cause will have the desired effect.  No inductive procedure can lead to absolute proof, not even the scientific method of cause and effect.  Yet we are in no doubt of our existence, that the sun will rise tomorrow, and that cause and effect will prevail in our world.  None of these things can be strictly proven but there is excellent reason to believe they will, just as there is excellent reason to believe in God.  The only reason we can rely on these basic assumptions is because we live in a predictable universe with reliable laws!  The only reason we can contemplate such notions is because we ourselves are complex and rational beings.  There is no other satisfactory explanation for an ordered universe with intellectual beings other than a personal God who is the source of nature and our existence.  

2.  Who made God?  It is true that all finite things must have a cause.  It is the atheist who finds himself in the real dilemma; it is illogical to have an infinite regress of cause and effect and that is exactly what happens if God does not exist.  Again the only reasonable explanation for a finite creation without having an infinite regress of cause and effect is an eternal Spirit being-God.  “God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.”  John 4:24 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”  Psalm 90:2

3.  A good God would not allow suffering and evil therefore either God does not exist or He is not good.  Well first of all the vast majority of suffering is caused by man against man (war, famine, and even disease).  The second greatest cause for suffering is the consequences of man’s poor choices.  Thirdly, the suffering induced by natural causes have always proven to bring the best out of man such as compassion, empathy, sacrifice, and a shift of focus from petty selfish things to what is really important.  A world without the potential for suffering or evil would reduce man to mere robots without choice or consequences for actions.  Evil in the world proves that there is a sense of moral justice in every human being.  The fact that man is the cause of much evil and suffering and suffering is a result of being a free moral agent who recognizes right and wrong, forces us back to the existence of God!  If we say that some pain and suffering is unjust, that compels us to believe in some ultimate objective standard by which to judge; this can be none other than a holy, just, Creator.  If God does not exist than suffering serves no purpose and there will be no ultimate vindication of evil.  But the Bible declares “for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.”  Romans 8:18

4.  Science and evolution have explained the origin of life.  Science cannot explain origins.  Matter is not infinite nor does energy have any ordering properties to make complex life systems.  These are the basic laws of thermodynamics.  Today, the evolutionary theory is by no means a universally accepted fact.  The mathematic probability for evolution is ZERO.  There should be literally millions of missing links in the fossil record, but at best there are only several dubious ones that scientist don’t even agree on.  Mutations are the supposed mechanism for advancing species yet science has shown that mutations have a negative impact on any given species.  Strictly speaking, science is observable, testable, and repeatable.  The evolution of one species into another has never been observed, has failed in laboratory tests, and certainly cannot be repeated.   We live in a complex world that is suited perfectly for life; earth is the exact distance it needs to be from the sun for life to exist, one degree closer and we would burn up, one degree further and we would freeze over.  The exact components of gases are in the atmosphere to make life possible; the earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours with precision with a tilt of 23%; without this precision heating and cooling would not occur to make life possible.  There is more information stored in the DNA strands of the human body than any library in the world.  To believe there is no God is to believe that at one time there was nothing and from nothing by random chance came all that is.  The universe does not have within itself the cause for its own existence.  Only a personal, intelligent God can account for an orderly universe with personal beings.

The Bible does not try to prove God’s existence, it is just a given.  “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created by Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  Colossians 1:16, 17

This verse is referring to Jesus: it is only biblical Christianity that teaches that God so loved the world that He gave His only son to die in our place as a penalty for our sin.  A holy God can be both just and justify sinners by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.  This salvation is offered freely to all who believe. 

The Lord bless,

Patrick Cross

BMW Evangelist – Ogden, Utah

Behind Every Evangelist Are A Team of Humble Servants

In Remembrance of a Humble Servant of God:

I flunked the Southeastern Bible College English Language entry exam and was required to take remedial English (Dummy English) with a certain English professor named, Gary Greene. I couldn't tell you the difference between a subject, verb or direct object if my life depended on it. However, Dr. Greene, took me under his calm, kind and humble wing and taught me how the English Language worked, and how it is described and defined in such a simple, yet clear way.

By the end of this remedial course, I had a solid working-knowledge of the basic grammar of English. My time with Dr. Greene in "Dummy English" was a real pivotal-moment in my academic life...a true turning point! God used Dr. Greene's gift of teaching to open my eyes to my love for language, and my desire to begin learning how languages work. Dr. Greene's teaching prowess enlightened me and empowered me to begin reaching my full linguistic potential over the years that would follow. Using this knowledge that Gary taught me, God enabled me to make straight A's in NT Greek, the honor society in OT Hebrew, graduate studies in Linguistics, then learn the French, Chad Arabic and Fulani languages in order to evangelize the nomads of Africa.

Thank you, Dr. Greene, for being so instrumental in helping me preach Christ to the nations by taking me from being a "Dummy in English" to being a "Linguist for Christ" to the nations. God truly used you in a significant way to help many lost souls hear the gospel in their language. (I am so glad that I shared this with you several years ago before you passed away.) Well done, good and faithful servant!