"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!

Overshadowed by the Cross

Overshadowed by the Cross
“A Psalm of Mary”
Written by Robert L. Brannon, Christmas 2009

The words of Gabriel were very clear,
His name is Jesus, salvation’s near.
A light to Gentiles, that is He,
To Israel, Glory and Jubilee.

I look down and see Him in the crèche,
The Baby whom angels call, “God-in-the-Flesh”.
And I am sure their words are true,
A Savior’s born to make us new.

In Bethlehem is born this King,
The angels and all heaven sing.
And here I am, a mother-girl,
Watching prophecies unfurl.

My heart is a treasure-trove of awe,
As I watch my Jesus in the straw.
Then I lift Him from His manger low,
And count His fingers, and His toes.

As I lift Him up so very high,
The star of glory shines from the sky.
His body straight, His arms extend,
His shadow falls upon the pen.

Alas, what does His shadow cast,
This Babe in arms that I hold fast?
My soul is pierced! Oh, is all lost?
His shadow forms a Roman cross!

I cringe to think of death at birth,
Yet Jesus smiles in holy mirth.
Yes, Jesus has a destiny,
To pay sin’s price for you and me.

They’ll pierce You, Jesus, in the end,
You’ll pay our penalty for sin.
And how I love you, Savior-King!
Salvation’s song, I now can sing!

Background behind this Poem and Painting

Once the Christmas season comes around each year, I like to choose a different part of the Christmas story to personally meditate on in order to worship Christ for His incarnation. Some years it has been a meditation of the passages of Scriptures pertaining to the star, the wise men, the shepherds, etc... But this year (2009), I have been captivated by the way that Galatians 6:14 relates to Christmas and the incarnation of Christ. Galatians 6:14 says, "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." For the apostle Paul (with his many amazing accomplishments), only one thing really mattered to him - the Cross. To him, all other accomplishments were considered as rubbish in comparison. This verse of Scripture has been such a sweet rebuke to me over the past several months. I too only have one thing to boast in...not ministry, not family, not accomplishments...but rather...the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The angel said of Jesus, "You shall call His name Jesus (salvation), for He will save His people from their sins." (Matt.1:21) He came to save us from our sins...ON THE CROSS. All the prophecies, the birth, life and death of Christ were all about glorifying God by redeeming Adam's helpless race...on the Cross! Jesus' purpose and mission in life was to "set His face toward Jerusalem" to pay the penalty of our sins...on the Cross. While walking on the mountain the other day and meditating on these truths about the incarnation and the Cross of Christ, an image came to my mind of the bright star shining behind Mary and Jesus as she lifted Him from the manger...and then something surprising happened before Mary's eyes and in her heart! (see artwork above). I explained this image to my friend, Steve Seropian, an artist and a fellow member of Rocky Mountain Bible Church here in Utah. Steve drew this image, and I wrote a poem to go with it. I hope that you are inspired, by the artwork and the poem, to bask in the Shadow of the Cross this Christmas Season...and throughout the entire year!

Reflections on Being Loyal to Jesus Christ

Loyalty! What a noble and inspiring word to meditate on! The dictionary defines loyalty as: "faithful adherence to a sovereign, government, leader, cause, etc." In other words, loyalty means to have a passionate and persistent devotion to something or someone. Loyalty is a commitment to stand by someone or something with undaunted resolve no matter what form the detractors may take. Time may go by, but loyalty never stops clinging to her person or cause.

I have always valued loyalty throughout my life...but that is not bragging...it is more of a confession. Let me explain what I mean: Before I came into a relationship with Christ, I was loyal to many unworthy people and things. I was fiercely loyal to many friends growing up who were very bad influences. "Bad company corrupts good moral" says the Good Book (I Cor.15:33). Therefore, my loyalty to maintaining close friendships with "bad company" proved to be an ignoble use of the noble quality of loyalty. For over 3 years, I was passionately loyal to a false religion. I believed with all my heart that that religious system was true. I would have given my life for that religion if the moment would ever have come. Therefore, I was sincere and loyal...but sincerely wrong and loyal to a false religion. Once again, I was found guilty of imperfect human loyalty.

However, one day a Strange Man "stepped in front of me". His name is Jesus Christ, the God-man. God in the flesh. The Son of God...the Lamb of God who takes away, not just the sins of the world, but my sins! No one ever spoke like this Unusual Man. No one ever lived like Him. As God's servants began to implore me to receive Jesus Christ and be saved, my heart began to melt...and I experienced first hand the new birth of salvation in Jesus. From that day, God created in me a noble loyalty to Jesus Christ. It is a loyalty that has its foundation and origin in God Himself. "We love, because He first loved us" (I John 4:19).

True loyalty to Jesus Christ can be spelled as follows: O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Beloved, we are loyal to Christ, when we obey Him. It is as plain, simple and glorious as that! Be loyalty to Christ. Obey His word as it applies to your life today. Therein is noble loyalty. A loyalty that transcends our human weakness and places our feet on the high places where His grace abounds.

Cosmic Sweep-up Boy or Sovereign God?

Found this in our family reading at breakfast this morning: In her devotional book called, "Pearls of Great Price" from the January 6 entry, Joni Eareckson Tada explains Gen. 50:20 - "God meant it for good" in the context of all the horrific experiences that Joseph endured before ascending to greatness as a ruler in Egypt (Remember: He was thrown into a hole by his brothers, sold as a slave, lived as a slave, falsely accused of rape, thrown into a dungeon for about 2 years, etc...) Here is an observation that Joni makes about God's perfect sovereignty over all of the circumstances of the lives of His children. From her wheel chair, she writes: "God is not a sweep-up boy who follows you with a dustpan and brush, second-guessing how everything will fit into a devine pattern for good. He does not put on a Hazmat suit so that an evil situation will not contaminate His holy reputation. Think of disappointing or bad things that have happened to you. God's hands stay on the wheel of your life from start to finish so that everything follows His intention for your life. This means your trials have more meaning - much more - than you realize. Your problems have more purpose than you can imagine. Not because God merely used bad things, but because God intended them so that others might be brought to Jesus through your example."

Thank you, Joni, for these insights! You see, Beloved, according to the scriptures, all things are not good that happen to you, and God is not the author of evil (James and Romans). But God, in His unsearchable sovereignty, causes all things, bad and good, to work together for good for His children (Romans 8:28; Gen.50:20). Be encouraged in the Lord today. Reach out and take His warm and kind hand, and find the healing that your heart so longs to know!

Philautos - Lovers of Self

As believers in Christ, loyal to Jesus Christ, are there still vestiges of these qualities remaining in our lives?

Study this list from II Timothy 3:1-4 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”

Let's look at one word at a time:

• lovers of self—translates the single Greek word [philautos] a compound of the verb [phileo] (to have great affection for) and the pronoun [autos] (self).
• lovers of money – covetous, materialistic
• boastful – [alazon] a "braggart", which Plato defined as a person who claims greatness that he does not possess. Boastful persons brag about their accomplishments, overstating the truth to the degree that it has no basis in reality. Face a fact of life: It is impossible not to boast! Therefore, don't let your boasting be misguided: Psalm 20:7; I Cor. 1:31; Gal.6:14
• arrogant- [huperephanos] has the literal meaning of placing above, hence the idea of superiority. Example: The Jewish religious leaders discussed in Luke 18:9, "And He (Jesus) told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and viewed others with contempt." (see parable Luke 18:9-14)
• revilers – [blasphemos] from which we get the word blasphemous and carries the basic idea of being abusive and slanderous.
• disobedient to parents – the generic principle here is rebellion against God-appointed authority that has its roots in an early propensity to rebel against one’s first authorities. (See: II Thess.1:8; II Thess.3:14; Heb.13:17; I Thess.5:12,13; II Tim.3:10,11)
• ungrateful – Christians are characterized by thanksgiving to God through Christ.
• unholy – [anosias] gross indecency; recklessly gratifying one’s lusts and passions with no thought of the consequences.
• unloving – [astorgos] this word is a negative adjective form of the form of the verb [storge] which commonly was used of family, social and patriotic love.
• irreconcilable – those who refuse at all costs to forgive and be forgiven, and thus reestablish unity. (Herein lies the root problem for so many sad stories of church discipline.)
• malicious gossips – [diabolos] !!! PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS GREEK WORD!!! even to the person unacquainted with Greek, this word is easily connected to the severity of this evil because from this word we derive our English word: “diabolical”. Diabolos literally means ”accuser” and is use 34 times in the NT as the title for SATAN!! Those who maliciously gossip are literally doing the work of Satan!
• without self-control – describes a person who recklessly follows fleshly, worldly desires with no inhibitions or shame. He is a slave to sin.
• brutal- refers to savagery, like that of wild beasts, whose nature it is to attack enemies and tear them to pieces.
• haters of good- hating what should be loved, and loving what should be hated. Isa.5:20 declares this person’s life cursed with a "woe” from the Lord God Himself!
• treacherous – disloyal to the Lord, His Word and His people. (Matt.10:21-22)
• reckless – careless, negligent and rash.
• conceited – [tuphoo] the root meaning of this word is to be surrounded by a smoke-screen of self occupation.
• lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – “lovers of pleasure” translates the single Greek word [philedonos] a compound of [philos] (loving) and [hedone] (pleasure), from which we get our words, "hedonist" and "hedonism". This person is a pleasure-mad, hedonist.

Dear Fellow Evangelist, join me in searching your heart.  Are you convicted by the above list of sinful qualities that define the unsaved world?  I definitely am.  I need the Lord to help me to be more like Him and less like this list.  Ask the Lord to purify your heart so that together we can proclaim His righteousness to the nations from a clean heart.  Amen.

Surprised by Joy...of Snow!

You would think that after 5 years of living in Utah, one would get sick of all the snow. Some do. But some don't. I am one of the "don'ts". When the snow falls into the proverbial glass and fills it half way, I see the glass half-full of glorious powder, whereas some may choose to see the glass as half-empty with frustrating frozen H2O. Granted, I do concede that shoveling snow this morning and waking early to drive a family member to work due to heavy on the canyon roads is an effort...but in the big scope of things...snow is worth the effort. I found several people today in the home and during my errands at the bank who all independently reveled in their love of the atmosphere that snow brings to the winter. They all expressed that they wanted more snow (even before I joined the chorus of amens).

I went jogging tonight in about 6 inches of snow. I ran from our home back into a lonely, wilderness path that leads into the National Park. It was snowing ginormous, luscious, flakes of precious white stuff. I stopped and listened to the sound of silence as the snow played its own soft symphony as each flake daintily glided to a stop on top of all of their fallen friends. What a sound and what a sight!

The Bible says, "For to the snow He (God) says, 'Fall on the earth' " (Job 37:6). God is the mover and shaker behind every single snowflake that falls to the earth. God even asked Job, "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow?" (Job 38:22) God whips up a batch of this miraculous white stuff. He stores it in His heavenly storehouse and then, only at His command, does it jump out of the storehouses and, like a falling leaf, it wobbles back and forth to its new home on the ground.

The end result defies description! It was cotton-eye-candy tonight to see all the conifer trees highlighted by God's white paintbrush transforming our canyon lands into a mysterious, emotionally charged winter wonderland of glory.

Lord, I worship you tonight for...snow. Another of your miraculous creations. May each snowflake brandish your glory and praise. And like the snowflakes, each one unique and different from the next, may we each herald your majesty, might and dominion to the nations through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Submitted to the Head and United to the Body

It is hard to describe the emotions that I (Rob Brannon) felt as I stood next to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and soaked in all of the sights and sounds of the Jewish worshipers praying to Adonai (the Lord) at what the Jews consider to be the holiest site on earth. It was the third Friday evening in May (May 21, 2004), and normally I would have been at the board meeting of my home church if I were in Alabama. But not this Friday night, instead I was celebrating the Sabbath day at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem with hundreds of passionate Jewish worshipers of all ages. As I entered the inner court of the Western Wall plaza, I was handed a kippa, or Jewish cap, that all men are required to wear as they pray next to the Western Wall. The inner court of the wall was divided into two sections: one for men and one for women. Before praying at the wall, I reminded myself of the words that Christ spoke to the “woman at the well” when He told her that “neither the mountain nor Jerusalem” are the true places of worship, but rather the place of true worship is in our hearts where we are to worship the Lord “in spirit and in truth”.
I then walked from the inner court of the Western Wall to the outer court plaza. At this outer court of the Western Wall were several hundred young men from the Yeshiva, or Jewish Seminary, who began to sing and to dance to Adonai with all of their hearts. Then all of the sudden, a small group of guys in the middle of this large mass of young men latched hands together, and gave birth to a stereo-typical group of Jews twirling in a circle while dancing and passionately singing in Hebrew. (I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was not having a flash back in my mind from “Fiddler on the Roof”) Within minutes, this group of twirling young men grew into a group of about one hundred men. They were now all locked together in perfect unity with their arms around the shoulders of their neighbors. They appeared to be one large moving amoeba instead of many individuals. Their large circle moved rhythmically clockwise as they kicked their right foot and then their left into the middle of the circle in perfect harmony. They were all singing the same song and doing the same dance steps. More and more men kept joining in so that the circle kept expanding further and further into the plaza. I was so mesmerized by the whole event that I almost got trampled by the worshipers as the circle nearly engulfed me! I quickly moved to the top of a stone bench at the extremity of the plaza, and I surveyed the humungous circle of united worshipers. I estimated that there were about 400 men total in this mammoth circle! What an amazing sight to see this huge group of Jewish men singing and dancing to Adonai, all in one accord! Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!
Then, to my chagrin, I noticed that the unity of the worshipers began to break down. A man on one side of the circle began to sing a different song than the group was singing. Soon there were three different songs being sung by different sections of the men in the huge circle. Then things really started to fall apart as the conflicting and independent dance steps of some began to disrupt the unified dancing of others in the circle. Then without a warning, the circle began to involuntarily break apart. It became impossible for them to hang on to their neighbor as one person pulled one way and someone else pulled the other way. The circle broke apart into many different fragments. It was no longer one united group of men. The group unity and solidarity was lost. The worship came to an abrupt end as everyone dropped hands and gave up the celebration of Adonai and the celebration of brotherhood.
My euphoria, of being a “fly on the Western Wall” during Sabbath, quickly turned into disappointed as I sadly watched people turn their backs on the group and walk away from the circle that had just fallen apart. It was all over. No doubt about it. The celebration had ended…UNTIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, a hand full of zealous young men sprinted with all of their might to the large open space at the epicenter of the dying circle. Once these young men arrived at the middle of the circle, they dove into each others arms and passionately locked arms together once again. With smiles and laughter, they treasured the moment of being reunited. My heart leapt within me as I saw this zealous group of young men mending the breaches in the “wall of broken fellowship” by once again singing the same song, following the same leader and dancing in unity with one another! It didn’t take long before the group of worshipers grew from the original small handful of men to over 100 united worshipers. Their united voices rang out in Hebrew as if it were the voice of one man. It was a powerful moment for me as I pondered: the value of spiritual unity, the importance of remaining hopeful in the midst of trials, and the logic of all following one leader. It is great to know that instead of walking away from the circle in despair, we can always come to Adonai who is more than able to mend the breaches. These are days of trials and testing. However, Adonai is at work in our midst, and He will not fail us. He is in the process of enlarging our hearts! Let’s cling to Him and to each other. Let’s humbly follow the Leader and His anointed servants. Let’s sprint to the middle of the circle, and join our hands together. Adonai is with us, and He will be magnified as He tenderly cares for His bride.

Grace be with you, my Fellow Evangelists,

Rob

Sons of Philip

There was a certain follower of Jesus Christ in the New Testament who was defined by his role within the church. His name was Philip: "Philip the evangelist" (Acts 21:8). In the book of Acts, this choice servant of Christ left the glamor of the revivals in Samaria to obediently follow the humble call of God down the dusty, lonely desert road that leads to Gaza. This road would not lead him to fame or fortune, but it would channel him deep into the will of God. On this Gaza road, Philip would encounter a certain Ethiopian Eunuch whom the Holy Spirit had prepared for the gospel...and you know the rest of the story! There is power and fruitfulness that awaits every obedient servant who follows the Master's way.

Dear fellow evangelists, in this blog, my goal is to come alongside of you and to put my arm around you as you plod along on the proverbial "Gaza Road". By its very nature, the Gaza Road is a lonely, forgotten and difficult road to follow. But take courage for you are not alone! The Master Evangelist, Jesus Christ, walks before you. My prayer is that this blog will be an encouragement to you. Cool water to the thirst soul. A stream in the desert.

Grace be with you,

Rob

Excellence over Success

From John Johnstone's book, Christian Excellence:

"Unfortunately, many Christians, including Pastors and other leaders, seek for success rather than excellence. But success focuses on the external rather than the internal, on the temporal rather than the eternal, and is measured by human standards rather than by divine. Desire for success comes from pride, whereas genuine desire for excellence comes from humility.

Success and excellence are competing ideals, and everything a believer does, whether consciously or not, is devoted to one of those ideals or the other. It is not that excellence in a believer precludes every form of outward success but that any success that comes from the pursuit of excellence is incidental. Success is not to be sought or to be glorified in if it is achieved.

Success is attaining cultural goals that elevate one's importance in the eyes of society and generally is marked by power, prestige, wealth, and privilege. Excellence, on the other hand, is the pursuit of the highest quality in one's work and effort, whether others recognize and approve it or not. Success is measured in relation to others, whereas excellence is measured by one's own God-given potential and calling. Success seeks to please men; excellence seeks to please God. Success rewards only a few, whereas excellence is available to any believer who is willing to pay the price. Success pertains to possessions and reputation, whereas excellence pertains to character. Success can be cheap, attained by shortcuts, lying, and stealing. The price of excellence is never discounted, never available for anything less than full price."

Therefore, my Fellow Evangelists, let's be very careful to flee from the lust for results and "success".  Let's pursue excellence in sowing the precious gospel seed faithfully and watch the Lord give the increase in due season.

Let Us Not Lose Heart!

Fortitudine Vincimus (Latin for, "By endurance, we conquer"): this was Antarctic explorer, Sir Earnest Shackleton's lifetime motto. In his book called, "Endurance", you can read about his amazing survival story that started in 1915 and lasted for nearly two year. There were 27 other men in his crew who floated around on ice flows in the Weddell Ocean of Antarctica. Shackleton and his crew were stranded with very little hope of survival, but Shackleton refused to give up hope that he could save his 27 beloved friends from certain death. True to his motto, he conquered (saved ALL of his men) because he endured with hope and found a way (by the grace of God) to rescue his men.

Dear Fellow Evangelist, we must not give up or shrink back from our ministry to evangelise the lost during these difficult last days. The stakes are very high for our rescue mission. Souls are lost and hanging in the balance without Jesus Christ. As an evangelist, you have a call to "follow the Lamb wherever He goes" (Revelation 14:4). The Pastor's call is to keep feeding the sheep they are given to shepherd. As an evangelist, your call is to keep going to the lost WHEREVER the Lord sends you and to keep faithfully telling the "old, old story of the cross".

PICTURED ABOVE ARE MY BELOVED "EVERLASTING" SHOES! These shoes served me faithfully in "active combat" from 1997 until June 6, 2006. On 6-6-06, under blue skies in Utah, I buried my beloved shoes "at sea" (well, our trash can is ocean blue, so use your imagination). I took the above picture just moments before the burial ceremony. During the ceremony, my kids told me that I should have had them dipped in copper like parents used to do with their kid's baby shoes so that I could memorialize these heroic shoes. These incredible shoes lasted an amazing nine years without falling apart! That's right! Nine years! Can you believe that! (My everyday shoes normally only last me one year). I bought these Nike low cut hiking shoes back in 1996 and stored them in a barrel in Chad, Africa until the fullness of time arrived for their active duty to begin. I wore them from 1997 (starting in Africa) through 2006 (ending in Utah). These unbelievable shoes were worn all over the bush of Chad, Africa as I evangelized the Arab and Fulani nomads of Chad. I wore these shoes on my dirt bike nearly every day from 1997 to 2000 as I pursued the nomads deep into the bush. I wore them in mud, dirt, dust, and rain. I played basketball with the kids in this shoes. Then for the next 4 years, I wore these shoes almost everyday in my Soccette Sports Ministry that took me throughout the USA, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Jordan, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Thailand. By the year of our Lord 2001, these "everlasting shoes" had earned the respect of everyone in my family because they had taken a multitudinous multiplicity of lickings and yet they kept on ticking...and still looked great to boot! The soles were still in great shape, the stitching was in tact, and they still looked cool! My wife could not believe how many times I replaced the shoe strings in these shoes. Generation after generation of shoe strings arose and fell during the public ministry of these "everlasting" shoes.

Then the crowning moment of glory came to honor these humble shoes. In May of 2004, I made an Evangelistic Outreach trip to Israel. Immediately after preaching at a very crowded youth meeting in a small apartment for a church in Haifa, I was looking down at the floor trying to navigate my feet through the jam-packed crowd, toward the much-longed-for snack table at the other end of the room. To my amazement as I looked down at the floor in front of me, I saw a pair of feet with the very same style and brand of Nike low cut hiking shoes as mine! I looked up to see whose blessed face belonged to these illustrious shoes. My eyes locked with a young Israeli man who smiled at me as I informed him that we were both wearing the very same type of shoes (BTW, our faces were so close that I could have told you what flavor gum he was chewing:) With a strong Hebrew accent and broken English, he said something like this, "Yes, we are! And these shoes are so durable! They seem to never wear out!" I burst into uncontrolled laughter and joy as I recounted to him the same testimony of my own "everlasting" shoes. He went on to profusely brag about the battles that his shoes had endured without wearing out. Back and forth we went, swapping stories and smiling as we enjoyed the fellowship of being the proud owners of these "like-precious, everlasting" shoes!

Beloved fellow evangelist, here is my point in sharing this light-hearted illustration, God has made YOU to victoriously endure hardships. He is your Maker, and He will never, never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). "ENDURE hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (II Timothy 4:5). "Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith" (Hebrews 12:1,2). "Let us not lose heart in doing good (preaching the gospel), for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary" (Galatians 6:9).

Beloved, my shoes were made by skilled craftsmen from very durable materials...but they are just the work of men. They lasted nine amazing years under very adverse circumstances, but you my fellow evangelist, you have been made by God and set apart for the gospel. The Lord will carry you all the way to the finish line for His glory. You have been called to endure, to overcome and to win this long, hard marathon for lost souls (see I Corinthians 9:24-27). Don't give up! "Run to Win" by "Running with Endurance" in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

Grace be with you,

Rob

An Invitation to Join a Brotherhood of Evangelists!

Do you know Jesus Christ personally?  Are you solidly connected to His body, the church?  Has God called you to serve Him as an Evangelist?  Do you have a passion to evangelize?  Are you called to evangelize in the Mountain West of the United States of America?  If the answer to all of these questions is "yes", then this blog is specifically designed for you!  

Hi.  My name is Rob Brannon.  I am an evangelist with Biblical Ministries Worldwide (BMW).  My family and I live in the  Bryce Canyon region of Utah.  Since 1988, God has given me the privilege of serving Him as an Evangelist in the USA, Canada, North Africa (10 years among the nomads), and within the Middle East.  Since 2005, my family and I have focused on evangelism and church planting in the state of Utah.  We planted Rocky Mountain Bible Church of Brigham City, Utah in 2005, and in September of 2010, we moved to the multinational melting pot of Bryce Canyon to start an outreach here.  As a missionary-linguist overseas, I learned to preach the gospel in French, Chad Arabic and Fulani.  There is nothing I enjoy more in ministry than communicating the gospel message to the nations in languages that they understand.  We have lived and served among numerous religious groups over the past 20 plus years of evangelistic ministry: the Catholics, the Muslims, the Jews, and now the Mormons (a religion to which I used to passionately belong as a young man).  It has been a joy to befriend so many individuals and families within these religious groups.  I love and respect everyone of them.  The are my friends no matter what they believe, and I genuinely like them and love them.  All this being said, God has entrusted to me (and to you) the TRUTH of the gospel.  This does not make me swell with pride, but rather bow my knee in humility to the One True God through Jesus Christ who reached into my confusion and saved me and enlightened me with the truth of the gospel message.  Therefore, my call, as an Evangelist, is to be the best and highest friend that a sinner can have:  a friend who tells them the truth. 

My Beloved Fellow Evangelist, you are not alone in your call to preach the gospel.  No matter how isolated your mission field may be;  no matter how small your town or church may be, you are not alone.  God's Spirit fills you, and Jesus Christ is always with you as He promised in Matthew 28:20, "and lo, I am with you always" (this is in the context of going to evangelize!).  And furthermore, God provides fellowship and brotherhood to His servants.  In the days ahead as you follow this blog, I want to share with you biblical principles that have been tried and true in our lives and the lives of others.  Even in the isolation of living 6 years in the bush of North Africa evangelizing nomads, God provided consistent fellowship and brotherhood with other passionate evangelists and believers who evangelize.  Just the other night here in Utah's isolated "outback", I was blessed to spend over 2 hours doing tag-team evangelism in the area with a fellow servant of Christ who is passionate about evangelism.  God provides fellowship and encouragement.  

One "occupational hazard" of being an evangelist is that quite often, by default, you are called to new pioneer locations where the gospel is not well established and where the church is small or even non-existent.  Evangelists are often on the move and called to change locations according to God's will.   It is never easy to uproot and move, but it is always exciting for the evangelist to sow the seed in the virgin soil of new frontiers.  If you are an evangelist, you need no further explanation.  You understand the passion and the call.  You also understand the challenges and difficulties.  That is why I started this blog, to provide some much needed encouragement, understanding, theological depth and fellowship into our circle of ministry.

I hope that you will bookmark this blog and check in periodically.  I want this to be interactive, so please feel free to comment on the entries, ask questions and propose topics and articles that you would like to see addressed, or that you want to share.  God speed, my brother!

Your fellow evangelist,

Rob Brannon

Biblical Ministries Worldwide - Utah