Category: Missions Minutes

by: John Combest

It has been said that God had but one Son, and He sent that Son as a missionary. What a statement! What a truth! But oh, what a massive task He has left for us. My brother just returned from Rwanda, Africa, where there are almost no Baptist missionaries working. He spoke of the people calling into the radio station asking for teachers and preachers. He spoke of men and women pleading for churches in their area. The response? As of now, it is little. What can we do when we have no one to go? How do we rightfully respond to these people who plead for help?

First thing you can do is, pray. If I may ask, how much time do you spend praying for those in full-time ministry? How often do you get on your knees and ask for God’s protection on your man of God and church? How often do you remember those missionaries who have left family, friends, cultural comforts, and conveniences to take the Gospel to a people who are not their own? You say, “But I do remember and pray for each one.” But, may I bring this before you?

In Matthew 9:38 (also Luke 10:2), the Lord speaks of a harvest. May I say, a dying harvest. A harvest that has ripened and has begun to pass away. He then says an interesting statement. God says, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Some may ask, “If He has the laborers, why do we need to pray for Him to send them?” Why does He not just send them if He has them? I would like to submit that, though He has many laborers, few are willing to go to the work. He will send those who are willing and ready to be sent. When God asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” in Isaiah 6:8, He was just waiting for Isaiah to step forward and say, “Here am I.” In Matthew when it says, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest,” He is just waiting for that one to answer so that He can then send them.

Are you praying, not just for those in full-time service, but are you also praying that more men and women will answer the call so that God will then be able to send them forth? PRAY!

Second thing you can do is, give. Many people have a distorted view of giving. Some feel it is the commandment of God. Others feel that it is just our Christian duty. However, though these others may be true, I would like to also say that giving is a great way for us to help those who have been sent to continue harvesting. Someone must support and provide for the harvesters so that they can focus on their present task. This must be a group effort. If we get the idea that the laborer is somehow below our grade, why are we leaving the awesome task to them? If we feel that the harvester is someone of character and dedication, why not get behind him with all we have? He should be able to immerse himself completely in the work without always turning around and hoping he can put food on the table and provide for his family.

Paul speaks to the Philippians in Philippians 4, and commends them for their care of him while he was fulfilling the call of God on his life. I think it is interesting that he mentions that they were the only ones who supported his efforts after he “departed from Macedonia.” Verse 16 says, “For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.” Can I ask you a simple question? How much more work and how much more focused can a servant of God be if he can give himself wholly to his task without constantly having to skimp or scrape to get by?

I think there is one more point that also needs to be discussed concerning giving. Most people automatically consider giving to mean financial. However, this may not be the case at all. Do you remember the lady in the Old Testament who watched Elijah pass through town on multiple occasions? She did something very unique that has encouraged a similar response around the globe to this very day. She built the prophet a chamber, a room in which he could stay, rest, and work when he was in town. This has now become what we call the prophet’s chamber. Many churches keep one for pastors and missionaries who pass through. There are so many ways to give.

A laborer needs to feel as though he has the backing of those who must stay home. As he looks out across the vast fields of dying souls, he can become discouraged and tired. He can begin to wonder if those “back at the house” really care about the harvest. Whether they really understand the magnitude of the task that they have left for him. These men and women working in the field need to feel our care and concern. They need to know we are interested in the work. They need to be convinced that we are backing them 100%. If we must stay home, let us back every laborer as much as possible.

Third thing to do is, go. Sometimes these three words are spoken of so often, that we forget the significance of them.

When Paul, in Acts 16, had what we call the Macedonian call, what was his response? We find that it was immediate. What we often miss is the next verse. In verse 10, he said that he immediately endeavored to go into Macedonia, “assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

What made him “gather”? (folks, this term is still used out in the country. It means you inferred or understood something to mean a particular thing.) What made him think so strongly that the Lord had called him to do this? #1 He saw. O how great a burden becomes when you see it! #2 He heard. I believe a worker who never hears the cry of the hopelessly lost will ever have the drive to finish the task. He must hear their cry and see their torment. He must be willing to expose himself to their extreme condition and sweat, cry, and work to bring them in. When Paul, the great apostle, saw and heard of the great need in Macedonia, he immediately knew that God was calling him into the work.

I do want to make a note here to add that there is much preparation that goes into answering this call. When Isaiah answered God’s calling in Isaiah 6, notice what preparation had gone into answering the call. One of the greatest things was for Isaiah to truly see God as He really was. Isaiah then saw himself as he truly was. Isaiah says in Isaiah 6:5, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah saw God, and then saw how base and sinful he himself was. Yes, even that great prophet Isaiah. It was after God cleansed Isaiah that he was able to answer when God called. Oh, the laborer must see how sinful he is before a righteous and holy God. He must have his own life in tune with the Master before he can ever seek to work in His fields. But notice that once Isaiah’s heart was in the right place, his response to God’s call was immediate. It was not a delayed answer, but rather one that followed on the heels of the request. I believe if a worker is truly at rights with the Master, he will not wonder or question as to whom God is calling.

Both Paul and Isaiah had no question as to who God was calling. When they heard of the need, they immediately stepped forward to fill it. Oh that we would have a generation of men and women who see the massive harvest and prepare themselves to step into it and work. We have so many who sit in the house and watch through the window, making up so many excuses as to why they couldn’t be the ones God would be calling. They sit and watch as the workers sweat, labor and die in the fields as the crop turns white and begins to fall to the ground – to forever perish. They do not realize that God has given them the opportunity to see so that they may feel the burden and answer the call. Where are the men who will step in and take the place of those who have spent their lives in the fields? Where are the women who will step forward to encourage and work to get the harvest in? Our houses are full – the fields are empty. Who will go?

A storm is approaching. The harvest is already ripened and some has already begun to fall to the ground. The Master Harvester comes by and sees that if He does not get more workers in the field to get the crop, it will all be lost. He goes back to the house and calls for help. He does not call those who aren’t there, but rather those who have been called already and are in His house. However, He quickly finds that those who should have been ready are still babes. They have refused to grow and mature. He slowly goes back out to the fields and watches as the storm rolls in. Again, He calls. As he does, He sees with some encouragement, as 2 or 3 workers run out of the house and put their backs to the work. He turns to watch them go and sees as 4 or 5 old worn out harvesters collapse from the fatigue of years of labor. He cries out for more help, knowing that if all would get into the work there would be enough to get the job done. But no response! Then, all of the sudden, he sees as a number of workers leave the fields. He runs to them to see what has happened; and with bitter regret, they tell Him that they have not eaten in many days. That their families have been left to starve and go without because those within the house have refused to send anything for their needs. With sorrow, they leave just to take care of the families God has given them. Oh, the anguish of the Master as He turns and sees the wind begin whipping across the fields. As the storm begins its death march across the fields, the Master’s call becomes more insistent and urgent. But, with a mighty rush, the rain and hail begin to fall and the crop is destroyed. Overcome with sorrow, the Master stands in the road and begins to cry as He sees the grains of wheat fall and die, many of them without a harvester even close to reach them. He heads back to the house, and all He can see is each and every grain falling. He cries bitterly as He knows each grain is the soul of a human being that has perished for eternity. He has called for help for many years. He has pleaded for workers and none have answered. As He stands on the porch and watches the wheat disappear, He hears in the background those whom He had called. Those who He fed and clothed and cared for – for all of those years, and yet, when the day came for them to work in the fields, they didn’t answer the call. They had accepted all He gave, but never moved when He beckoned for help. Oh the bitter tears as He watches each grain fall, knowing it never had to be this way. Knowing that if those He had called had answered, every soul could have had a chance to be brought in. Oh, the bitter tears of those in the house as they were brought to a day of reckoning. As the Master allowed them to see each and every soul, one by one, pass into the lake of fire for eternity. How the memories then flooded their minds of all the times the Master called for more workers and no one answered. They will remember the many times a tired, worn out, discouraged laborer pleaded for help and no one moved to his aid. Oh, the bitter tears that they then cry as they realize that the fault is theirs and theirs alone. But, it is too late. The storm has passed and the crop has failed. There is nothing now but regret.

May I plead with you? The harvest is greater than we can imagine. Every day thousands of souls pass into eternity without even a witness close by. Generations are born, live, and die without ever once hearing that there is an eternity waiting them on the other side. We who sit at home fail to pray for laborers. We sometimes allow the few workers to suffer from lack while we eat and drink and throw our lives away on frivolous things. But then, so many of us feel God’s tug on our hearts. We see the vast need and hear the hopeless cries of those millions of souls, and yet do not move to help. Sometimes it is out of fear. Sometimes out of rebellion. Whatever the reason, it is the harvest that suffers. It is those men and women in Rwanda, calling for someone to teach them. Pleading for someone to come to their village. They are the ones who suffer. They are the ones whose lives are crushed and snuffed out without a man or woman of God to show them “This is the way, walk ye in it…” Who will pray for more workers? Who will give what they have to take care of the harvesters? Who will answer that call to head into the fields to bring in the grain? We are a body. We are the workers. This is the task. This is our job. Let us rise to the challenge!

John Combest
Missionary to the Congo

by: Caleb Benson

Luke 10:25-29 says, “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?”

We are living in a society when most people have no idea who their neighbors really are. People will gather what information they know about their neighbors, based on what they see them do. We have become a generation that gets more information from a friend of a friend on Facebook, then we will get from the person living next to us. Jesus went on to describe to this lawyer that anyone we come in contact with is our neighbor. With that being said, who is your neighbor? Who is it that you come in contact with who needs to know about Jesus? Who are you helping to see the love of Jesus Christ? In Mark 2:1-12 the Bible tells us how four men brought one man to see Jesus, and everyone there walked away different. So, how can we bring people to see the Saviour just like these men did? I want to point out several basic elements that must be in place in order to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The very first element which must be in place if anyone will be changed by the power of Jesus Christ is,

     1. The Presence of Christ

Mark 2:1 tells us that “He, (Jesus) was in the house.” We know that there is no place where Jesus is not there, because He is God, and He is Omnipresent. This means that there is no place that we are where He is not. He is everywhere at the same time, but do we live in the reality of His presence? Do we realize that He watches every television program we watch, He reads every book we read, He listens to every bit of music to which we listen? He sees every deed, thought, word and even our hearts. So often we will tell others, “God is with you right now,” but then we turn around and do things that God would be very unhappy about. So we say, “God is everywhere all at the same time,” but do we live it? How many things would you change in the way you live, if you knew God was walking beside you tomorrow? We should be constantly aware that God is with us every hour of every day. It doesn’t stop with just knowing He is present. We need to recognize that Jesus is there. Also, in verse 1 the Bible tells us, “…and it was noised that He was in the house…” It is not just that He was there, people knew who He was and told everyone where He was. Does anyone know that Jesus lives in your house? If you invited a stranger into your home, would they know that Jesus was part of your life? Give Him the recognition He deserves. Jesus paid the price for your sins, and you won’t tell anyone He lives inside of you? Everyone should be able to see that Christ is not just a knickknack, but that you serve Him. Guess what happens when you live like Christ is with you all the time, and when you let it be known that He is your life, people will be drawn to Him. In verse 2 the Bible says, “…many were gathered together…” It is the presence of Jesus that makes any place attractive or appealing. John 12:32 says, “And I, (Jesus) if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me…” There were many bushes in the desert, but Moses was drawn to one bush, the bush that burned with the fire of God. There are many wells in Israel we could go visit, but the one most tourists visit is Jacob’s well, it was there that Jesus gave living water to a wicked woman. There are many graves you could visit in the cemetery in Bethany, but people usually go to see the one where Jesus awoke Lazarus from the dead. When Christ is present in our lives, and we exalt Him, people will come, not because of us, but because of Christ. In order to bring people to Jesus Christ, we must have Him present.

     2. The Priority of Christ

As we look at Mark 2:5, you will notice that although the man brought to Jesus was paralyzed, the first response of our Saviour was not to heal his disease, but instead it was to cleanse his sin. Jesus always emphasizes the spiritual need of a person before addressing their physical condition. There are many today teaching that we must minister to the physical side of man before trying to minister to his spirit. This is definitely not the way Jesus did it. He is to be our example, and there are many times in Scripture where He met a physical need, but it is always followed by a spiritual need being met. We need to make His number one priority, our number one priority, and that is, “to seek and to save that which was lost.” He also emphasized the individual over the entire multitude. He took His attention from teaching to a large crowd to minister to one man. We often dream of the larger crowds and wonder how can we get more people in, but what if we focused on just reaching one at a time? The Spirit of God sent Philip away from a great revival in Samaria to reach one man on the road to Gaza. Jesus also tells of a shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep in the fold to seek that one which was separated from the flock. Jesus was focused on meeting spiritual needs of individuals who are lost. His priority has always been to reach the lost. In the story of the Prodigal Son, Christ makes it very clear that the emphasis is on the lost son who returns home, more than the one who remained faithful.

In order to bring people to Jesus we have seen that we need Him to be present, and we must have the same priority as He had, but we must also have His power.

     3. The Power of Christ

One of the main elements of people coming to know Jesus as their Saviour is the almighty power of God. Without His power, man will not be convicted, if there is no conviction of sin, there is no genuine repentance, and salvation does not come without repentance. Just as Jesus had the power to forgive sins, and heal this man of the palsy, He also has the power to meet every need of every person in the world. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Because Jesus has all power, He has made it available to us, but it is only accessible by faith. In Mark 2:5 the Bible says, “…when He saw their faith…” It was only when they had faith in the power of Jesus to heal their friend that the power of Jesus accessed and something happened. The faith of the man who was sick accessed cleansing power when he believed by faith that Jesus was the Son of God. We can see here and in many other places in the Bible that the power of God is only accessed by faith. When Jesus healed the physical condition of this man, it proved that He had already forgiven the sins of the man. It proved to everyone that He had all power to forgive sins and heal any disease, but the power was only accessed by faith. D.L. Moody was once challenged to a debate with an atheist. He accepted the challenge with only one limitation. He said, “I want you to bring me every person you can whose life has been changed by the power of atheism. I want you to bring me those who were drunkards until they became atheists and are now sober, those whose lives were broken but have been made whole by believing in atheism, those who have become better husbands and fathers since having turned to atheism.” Obviously they cannot bring any such person, because this power only comes through Jesus Christ. We must access His power through stepping out by faith.

Once we have the presence, priority, and power of Christ, then we must determine to partner with God to do our very best to reach people with the Gospel.

     4. The Partners of Jesus

1 Corinthians 3:9 the Bible tells us, “For we are labourers together with God…”

The four that carried this one man to Jesus were very concerned about his condition, and about getting him to Jesus. I wonder if we have anything that even comes close to the same concern for the lost. Lost people all around us dash madly toward Hell and we never shed a tear, we never offer a prayer for their souls, we never pass out a tract and we never try to win them to Christ. Can we say that we are really concerned about the lost? If we are truly concerned about the lost, then we must be convinced that Jesus changes lives. The four men who carried the palsied man to Christ were absolutely convinced that Jesus would do something. If they weren’t convinced that Christ would change his life, they would not have gone through the trouble to get on the roof and tear it up in order to get him in the house to see Jesus. Are we absolutely convinced that if we bring people to Jesus that He will change their life? We need to be totally committed to bringing people to Christ just as these men were committed to bringing this man to Jesus. If we are totally committed, then no obstacle will stand in our way of bringing people to the Saviour. What does it take to keep you from witnessing to someone?

Lt. DeSilva had served on many difficult missions during his years in the French Foreign Legion, but none was so difficult or heart-wrenching as the time he spent in Goma, Zaire, working in a camp for Rwandan refugees. The refugees were dying at such a rate that the mission of the Legionnaires had changed to public health. A 15-ton bulldozer dug graves and shoved masses of dead bodies into the grave before their sickness could infect the living. The stench was so bad that the men wore face masks doused with after-shave to help cut the smell, but nothing could cut the sorrow they saw.

One day, as Lt. DeSilva oversaw this gruesome task, he noticed in the mass of tangled corpses a hand waving. He shouted orders to the bulldozer to stop and picked his way through the dead bodies and found a little boy who was still alive. The little boy was taken to a clinic, and though his physical health improved, his mental health did not. He never spoke a word to anyone.

Eventually, Lt. DeSilva decided to give the young man a ride in his jeep. Maybe it was the fresh air, or the special attention. Maybe it was something else, but the boy became very animated. He began to talk. He told of seeing his mother, father, sisters and brothers all die.

Lt. DeSilva developed a strong attachment to the young man and eventually decided with the agreement of his wife that they would adopt him. DeSilva said, “As our son, he will have all the privileges of our other sons.”

One day Jesus saw my hand reaching in desperation, and through the tangled mass of decaying humanity, He brought to me the good news of His salvation. He rescued me from death, forgave my sin, made me His son, and said that as His child, I have all the same privileges as His other children. Someone’s hand is waving at you today. Someone’s hand is waving at me. Let’s go bring our neighbors to Christ!

Caleb Benson
Missionary to Cameroon
bensons2cameroon.com

by: Allen Domelle

I arrived at the airport late Friday night, and Pastor Brent Lenentine and myself were picked up by Bro. Rodrigo Contreras, his wife and daughter. Bro. Contreras is a church planter in Panama, and was gracious enough to drive us to the hotel so we could get some rest. The next morning we were taken to the domestic airport to fly into David, Panama, to hold an Old Paths conference for Missionary/Church planter, Byron Willis.

He picked us up, and immediately we hit the soul winning trail with he and Juan Medina, a new convert who had recently learned to be a soul winner. Bro. Lenentine went soul winning with Bro. Medina, and God used them to see four people accept Christ as Saviour. I went with Bro. Willis and was able to see one person saved. After our soul winning time, we checked into the hotel, and then got back into the vehicle to drive up into the mountains for Bro. Lenentine to preach to the youth at a gym outing. He preached a great sermon from Proverbs 3:5-6 about leaning on God and His Word. After a long two days of traveling, we went back to the hotel to get some rest for Sunday morning.

I woke up early, as the pastor was scheduled to pick us up at 7:45 in the morning so that we could get to church for the first service. It wasn’t long after we arrived at the church, that the first of many busses filled with people started arriving. It was truly an amazing sight to see that the bus ministry is truly the only way some will ever hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I preached in the first service to a packed out auditorium, and God blessed with the altars filled and souls saved.

What happened next was truly what moved my heart to write this article. Sunday school began, and I walked around looking at Sunday school classes in every place you can imagine. The pastor’s wife held a ladies Sunday school class under a tarp in the hot muggy weather. I continued to walk and saw Sunday school classes being held in between buildings, on the public sidewalk right next to a busy street, in the bus parking lot and yes, even in normal rooms. Bro. Willis does not have a lot of space in his building for Sunday school, so he has improvised to find any place possible to hold Sunday school. Why would he do something like this? Because Sunday school is that hour where people are taught the Bible so that they can go back out and reproduce themselves by seeing people saved and discipling their converts.

After the Sunday school hour, another crowd gathered for the second service of the morning. No, these were not the same people who came for the earlier hour, but these were a completely different set of people. The Gospel was preached, the altars were filled and souls were saved and baptized. What an amazing few hours Bro. Lenentine and I were able to enjoy watching a church in another country practice the old paths just like we practice them in the United States.

Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls…” You will notice that the old paths are not a cultural practice or something that is only good for a certain generation, but the old paths are for every person. Revelation 5:9 says, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” These verses were a reality to me the past couple of days as I have seen the old paths at work reaching people who are of a different people, nation, kindred and tongue than I speak. Yet, the old paths that I have practiced is still good for these people. There are several thoughts that come to mind after this day.

      1. The old paths are alive and well.

It was very evident to me this past weekend that Bro. Willis has not compromised the old paths to get a crowd. It is amazing that the old paths work if you will work them. He is not rattling around in a building that is too large for him; instead, he is in need of space to house more people.

The old paths work to reach all types of people. We often hear that you will never reach the middle class if you focus on the bus ministry. Well, I wouldn’t tell Bro. Willis that. In his services there were people from all walks of life. There was a coffee farmer who distributes his coffee worldwide. His youth director holds an executive level job in the power company. He had a doctor and his wife, who is a nurse, as members of his church. Older retired people attended the services. Yet, there were many riding the busses who live a life of poverty. The old paths work very well if you will work them.

It was also very evident that the old paths of holiness, separation and good Christian music don’t have to be thrown out the back door to get a crowd. The ladies of the church were decently dressed, the youth sat respectfully and listened and the music was still old paths music that didn’t sound like it came from a bar.

Furthermore, the people loved the old paths preaching. While many would like to say old paths preaching is out-of-date and too confrontational, these people walked, rode busses and some drove over an hour just to hear an old paths sermon. Friend, the old paths work today just like they did yesterday.

      2. Soul winning still works.

Many today are looking for different ways to attract people, but one thing that was very evident is that soul winning still works. Pastor Lenentine and Bro. Medina, his soul winning partner from the day before, had one of their converts to church that morning. Isn’t that amazing how a new convert was used to help lead someone else to Jesus Christ, and that person came to church.

Soul winning will work if you will simply go. No, people won’t get saved if you don’t go out and spread the Gospel. The greatest thing about soul winning is that it is not my job to save the lost, it is my job to get the Gospel to the lost so Jesus Christ can save them. Soul winning will work in your town as well. Churches need to stop looking for other ways to bring people in and simply follow the method found in Mark 6:7 where Jesus sent His disciple out two by two. Soul winning truly works.

      3. Bus ministry and Sunday school is still the answer.

As I watched the busses roll in and Sunday school classes being taught everywhere, I was reminded that these are the two greatest tools to build the old paths, independent Baptist church. While others are doing away with their Sunday school for home groups, the churches that still run busses and run their Sunday school in an organized manner are still growing and reaching the lost. Stop looking for other methods and just keep practicing what those before practiced.

      4. Starting churches is still the greatest need.

Bro. Willis is a church planter. At 16 years of age he started his first church, and then later started the church he currently pastors. His vision for church planting has not stopped. He has had several churches started out of his church because he is more interested in reaching the lost than he is in building an empire. His vision is not an inward vision, but an outward vision. A vision that is trying to send people out instead of keeping them in.

It is a sad day when church planters are no longer considered missionaries or churches drop them because they don’t fit in their “missions criteria.” My good friend and church planter, Nathan Owens, recently moved his ministry to the States because of the health of his wife. What has saddened me is the reports he gave me how churches are dropping his support because he is a church planter in the United States. Hold on! Since when is missions only off our continent. If we stop planting churches in our own continent, then the missionaries going overseas will not have enough churches to support them. The Great Commission is very clear that we need to start churches in “Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Let’s not be so narrow minded that missions is only abroad. Missions starts outside your church doors.

      5. The old paths were accomplished because someone gave.

The whole reason the old paths were able to be spread to the people of Panama and other parts of the world is because God touched the hearts of people to support missionaries. Friend, don’t ever underestimate the influence of your monies given towards missions. Every dollar is used to help spread the old paths abroad. If you are not giving towards missions, then you are part of the problem of spreading the old paths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every Sunday school class I saw was there because someone helped give towards missions in their church. Every bus was able to run because there was money to put gas in it to pick up people to bring to church. Where did this money come from? It came from a child who gave 5¢ towards missions or some dedicated Christian who obediently gave to missions so that the old paths could be spread beyond their borders.

The old paths are not just for the American culture or a specific time frame, but the old paths are for every Christian internationally. Don’t let the naysayers who criticize the old paths say they don’t work. If the naysayers travelled with me, they would see that the old paths are alive and well, not only in the United States, but also internationally.

Allen Domelle is the editor of the Old Paths Journal which is more than just a Christian’s publication. It is an excellent place to learn how today’s headlines will forge tomorrow’s laws and statutes. Keep yourself in tune with what is happening around the world, as well as in your own backyard with our daily updates and devotionals.

 

by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich

One morning during my personal Bible study, I came across a man in the Bible named Caleb. He is one of my favorite Bible characters because he’s one man who just didn’t go along with the crowd. There was something that made him different from the rest and it was that he had another spirit about him.

We have all heard that Moses was to send twelve spies to survey the land of Canaan. When they returned they were divided in what they saw. Ten of the spies compared themselves like grasshoppers when they saw the giants, great walls of the city and the great obstacles that was before them. Two of the spies came back and saw the greatness of God. We need to be careful how we view what God has given us to do. Like the ten spies, if we’re not careful, we will lead the next-generation into a wilderness of wandering and cause them to waste their lives.

I’m concerned how we show the land of the ministry to our young people today. Those of us in the ministry better be careful that we do not bring back a bad and evil report of what God wants to do in His ministry. We are rearing a generation who cannot handle hardness. Hardness is not abuse, but it is a building block for what God is preparing for us in the future. Like the children of Israel, many in the ministry are causing young people to murmur and have a desire to turn back and rebel against what God wants them to do. All of this happens when we come back with the evil report of the ministry. We all know and understand that the land of the ministry is full of obstacles, giants and great walls, but we also know there is a great God Who helps us conquer them.

There are basically two results that happen when an evil report is brought back from the land of the ministry. One is that our young people will wonder through life aimlessly and not be able to accomplish anything. It will cause many to waste the opportunities that God has given them.

The other result is to end up living around those who have wandered and wasted their life. It is very difficult to watch those you love, and in whom have invested your life, spend their time murmuring, complaining, wanting to turn back and then rebel against God’s plan for there lives. Thank God there are many like Caleb who have another spirit about them. There was something different about Caleb when compared with those around him. You see, Caleb didn’t go along with the crowd in that day because he had another spirit. May God raise up some Calebs with another spirit about the land of the ministry.

There are several things that we need to teach our young people about what we see in Caleb’s life that gave him another spirit.

First of all, they need to have another spirit that believes the Word of God. We are living in a time when many are leading our young people to question the Word of God. With the help of the media and Hollywood, we are seeing the authority of God’s Word being destroyed. We are seeing a people trying to change it for their way of leading our young people to a lifestyle of ungodliness. When people around Caleb were murmuring complaining and turning back against what God promised, Caleb had another spirit about him that needs to be passed on to our young people.

Secondly, they need another spirit to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. The world is beginning to put pressure on the ministry, and as a result we are producing people who are halfhearted, lukewarm and caving in on their convictions and standards. Caleb was a man who was committed, meaning that he was all-out for God.

Thirdly, they need another spirit that focuses on God for the victory. Our young people are becoming a generation that is being bombarded with technology so that they are beginning to rely on technology for their path to success. Caleb didn’t depend upon his own ability, he depended upon God’s ability.

Lastly, they need another spirit that will give God all the glory. In a day when many people are singing the praises of men and following them no matter what they believe or do, we need young men with another spirit. One of the reasons the ministry has lost its appeal is because it has been focused on men. How much is God mentioned in the ministry that has been given to you. In this portion of Scripture, Caleb is mentioning God over and over. We need to praise God more than man so that He receives the glory.

When there are people with another spirit in the land of the ministry, young people never forget the promises and power of God that never changes. When people have another spirit, they will see that the places God sends them to are never impossible.

The danger of not seeing it the way God sees it is that many will lose their faith in the purpose of God, their faith in the promises of God and lose faith in the presence of God.

Which way do you see the land of the ministry?

Dr. Steve Heidenreich
http://missionsminutes.blogspot.com

by: Steve Heidenreich

I was out walking one day and was praying and thanking the Lord for all that He’s done for me. Now that I have been saved for over 40 years, I was going back and remembering the blessings He has given me over the years. The first thought that came to my mind was the greatest day of my life; that was the day when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. Since that day I have seen great and mighty things that the Lord has done in my life. As I am coming into my later years of life, I still want God to do some more great and mighty things through me. Some people, as they get older, want to slow down and retire from being used as much. I don’t know about you, but I want to finish my life as a faithful, effective, soul winning Christian.

Caleb is one of my favorite men in the Old Testament. In the later years of his life he didn’t want to slow down, he still wanted to keep going and conquer great things for God. As I continued to walk down the road and talk to the Lord, I reminded Him of some of the great things that I have seen because of Him and that I wanted Him to continue to allow me to see.

First of all, I’ve seen His heart. I have seen God’s love for mankind. He created mankind to fellowship with Him and to live with Him forever. It amazes me that the God of Heaven Who created everything wants to spend time with us. I don’t know about you, but I like to get alone and spend time with my Heavenly Father. When I get up in the morning and take our little dog, Mario, for a walk, I have the opportunity to look to the sky and say, “Jehovah God, I love you!” I enjoy having a time of fellowship with Him. When I pray, I ask God to continue to use me greatly and help me to be a faithful effective soul winner. His heart is not only for people, but also for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that can save them so that He can fellowship with them for all eternity. God’s heartbeat is for world evangelism. John 3:16 shows us this when it says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Secondly, I have seen His people. God has graciously allowed me to be a missionary and travel all over the world and meet all types of people. I see how precious they really are to Him. I see how Satan and false religions have turned them away from God. It’s so sad to see people seeking for a God Who loves them and ends up with a god made by hands that has no heart for them. I thank God that I serve the true and living God, Jehovah, Who truly loves me and cares for me. I had an opportunity to travel to a country in Europe that had been under communism for years. What a tragedy to see people who were told there was no God and because of that they had no one to love them and give any kind of hope for living. Again, I am reminded by God of the very reason I want to continue serving Him in my older years. It is because of the people that I have seen that makes me beg God to continue to use me.

Thirdly, I have seen that the laborers are few. As a very young Christian, one of the first things I read in the Bible was that the “harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few.” I decided right then and there that I would be one of the few. I have seen the heart of God and I have seen the people who are the object of the love of that heart. But, there has to be laborers to go to the people whom He loves to tell them of His great love for them. It is hard for me to comprehend that many of the few laborers are leaving the labor force for a place of comfort and ease. With the condition of most of our churches, our country and the world, it is not a time to step back but a time to step up.

God has shown me a few things to help me to continue to be one of the few faithful laborers for the rest of my life. He told me to never quit having a pioneering spirit. There has to be a group of pioneers, no matter their age, who will keep moving forward conquering new areas for Christ. He also said there must be a group of laborers who are always strengthening and encouraging others to keep moving forward. In the day in which we live many of God’s laborers are becoming weary in the battle. Let’s do our best to encourage each other along the way. The last thing He said to me was to never quit. The last thing we need is for the few to toss in the towel and quit.

Do you see what I see? I hope so because our future depends upon it.

Dr. Steve Heidenreich
http://missionsminutes.blogspot.com

by: Steven Heidenreich

Have you ever tried to do right and then face one the greatest trials of your life. One summer my wife, two daughters and I worked in the cornfields detasseling corn so we could help pay for our children’s school bill in the fall. There were a lot of teenagers from our church with whom our family worked in the cornfields. We worked anywhere from 10 to 15 hours in the hot sun. By the time you got home, you were so exhausted that all you wanted to do was eat and sleep so you could face the next day. Some of the teenagers with whom I was working with on a Wednesday asked me if I was going to church that night. I told him that we always go to church on Wednesday night. I got home that Wednesday night cleaned up and started for church. As I was traveling down the street, I saw a man walk across the street and go in between two cars. As I began to pass by where he went in, all of a sudden he ran back out. I swerved to the left to keep from hitting him. I did my best to avoid him, but he ran into the side of the car and he was seriously injured. He was drunk and had dropped a cigarette lighter and ran back to get it. I was terribly terrified and could not believe how this could happen to me on my way to church. Here I was trying to do right by setting an example for the young people and because of it I went through this great trial.

Later on trying to understand the what and the why of what I had just gone through, God used Job chapter 23 to teach me an invaluable lesson.

First of all, God pointed out verse 14. That night he was performing the thing that was appointed for me. There are times and places God has prepared for us to meet with Him so that He can strengthen us so that we can come forth as gold. To be truthful with you, this is one of the appointments I wish I could have skipped. Little did I know that this was just one of the many appointments He had for me in my life.

Secondly, He told me that night that even though I cannot see Him, He’s there. Verses 8-10 say, “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

After getting out of the car and running over to check on the man, I saw that he was seriously injured. I cried out to God, “Where are you? Can’t you see I’m on deputation trying to go to the Philippines to reach those people for You? How could you let this happen?” There will be times when you cannot see Him and you don’t know where He is, but He’s there watching over you. As I looked up, the first person who was rushing to the scene of the accident was an off-duty paramedic. As I turned around, a lady came up and she was an off-duty nurse on her way to church.

Thirdly, the Word of God is what strengthens us and comforts us in our time of need. I could’ve never made it through that night without God showing me Job 23. Now for over 30 years I have depended upon God’s Word to strengthen and comfort me during the times of His appointments.

These appointments will come in your life, and He will be near you when He seems so far away. His Word will strengthen and comfort you if you will run to It in your time of appointments. Yes, you will come forth as gold.

Dr. Steve Heidenreich
http://missionsminutes.blogspot.com

by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich

The greatest generation has been used to describe a group of people born into poverty who created inventions out of necessity and fought for right. These brave men and women from WWII were no doubt substantial citizens of our great county. Yet, their children and grandchildren were the hippy movement of the sixties and seventies. Now these hippies are back, but this time in our churches.

In the early 20th century a new breed of Christians came on the scene, the Independent Baptist. After a hard fought, yet vital civil war within the movement, fights over the King James Bible, standards, convictions and soul winning separated the Independent Baptist crowd into two distinct parts. There were the Independent Baptist and the Independent Fundamental Baptist. Great generals of their time were making a stand for what they thought was right. Generals like Jack Hyles, Jerry Falwell, Lee Roberson, J. Frank Norris and so many more took their stand and never compromised.

Soon, a younger generation of red blooded American men, many who had witnessed the battle fronts of Vietnam first hand took the mantle of these men and marched forward. They had seen the hippy crowd and despised the shame these communists were bringing to the land of the free. These men not only were patriots of the red white and blue, but they were patriots of their movement, the newly formed IFB. They went through Baptist boot camp and graduated running into the highways and hedges, guns-a-blazing for Jesus. These men dreamed of the day when they too would have to go to war for what they believed, and preached every sermon as if they were under attack.

Much of the fighting had already been over and the victory won, but like any good Baptist preacher, we can’t let dead dogs lie. Some thought that not every battle they fought was worthy of the cause. Every few years there rose up some heretic who had to be put out of his misery and rightfully so. These men built grand churches. Soul winning was a priority and a bus ministry was a must!!

Millions of lives were changed and souls were saved all the while raising a generation of wimpy, pink tea and lemonade drinking, lace on their underwear, panty waisted, compromising misfits who have become the Hippies in our churches today. “No more fighting, only peace, love and change” they proclaim. This generation grew up seeing their preacher on the front line doing his dead level best to keep fundamentalism strong. He fought when it was time to fight, stood when it was time to stand, waving his Bible the whole way, but not anymore. This new generation of lilly livered, backslidden, NIV using, contemporary praise and worship sacrilege garbage is the new grass being passed around. They desire only love, happiness, ear tickling sermons, and God forbid the preacher should raise his voice. We have a group of sin addicted, love everyone and everything is allowed in the church except war.

The battles that need to be fought are not being fought, and those still holding the line are ridiculed, blogged and tweeted about as if they were a common criminal. Is it Vietnam all over, or are there just hippies in the church? Let me kindly remind you that Jude 1:3 says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” It’s time that we realize we are at war. One thing we have learned from the hippy generation is that peace, love and change will not win a war. There must be men of God who strongly take a stand for truth, and there must be Christians who applaud and help these men as they fight the battle for truth. Souls are at stake! Let’s not lose the battle all for the sake of love and peace.

by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich

I have had the opportunity to preach hundreds of mission’s conferences across America and around the world. I always get excited to see God work through His people when it comes time to get involved in getting the Gospel into all the world. When missionaries come in and share what God has called them to do and where He has them going it gets me excited. I want to surrender and go with them. Then to see God’s people step out by faith and give so they can go and preach the Gospel to those who have never heard a clear presentation is amazing to me. When the church votes to take on the missionaries for support, it should be the beginning of a great future of accomplishing mighty things for God.

So often when the missions conference is over, everything is packed up and stored away for the next year’s conference. The church figures that writing the support check each month is all that is required. While that is very important, it is just the beginning to a great opportunity to see what can be accomplished. We must be very careful that our missions programs don’t go missing over the next year.

Let me help you with some suggestions that will help you to keep your missions program from becoming a missing missions program.

1. Realize that when your mission’s conference has ended it’s just the beginning. Now it’s time to go to work and fulfill your goals for reaching the world with the Gospel.

2. Put together a budget of your mission’s giving for the next year. I have seen many missions programs with no plan as to how to spend their giving.

3. Spend the mission’s money that has been given on missions. People have given the money to be spent on getting the Gospel to those without it. It’s amazing to me what has been called missions. The tithe and love offerings should take care of the church and it’s needs. I give my tithe, other’s offerings and love offerings to help my church, but I expect my missions giving to be used for getting the Gospel around the world.

4. I believe that most of the missions offering should be used to plant churches. I have been involved in starting churches, and there is nothing more exciting than seeing a new church started. The end result of the Great Commission is a church. If you support missionaries, they should be Church-planting missionaries. I know that there are other projects that need help, but the biggest percentage of your budget should end up in church planting.

5. Send your pastor to the mission field. The key to any missions program is the pastor. When the pastor doesn’t have a heart for a missions program, then it will go missing. I have been told by many pastors that once they went to the mission field it changed their lives forever.

6. Bring in missionaries during the year to keep the reason for giving fresh in their mind. Because so many churches forget to mention the missionaries and their missions program, we need to hear from missionaries.

7. Organize mission’s trips for your people so they can go and see what their missions program is accomplishing on the field. When people come back from a mission’s trip and are excited and talk about it, it will do wonders for your missions program.

8. This will shock most of you, but I believe that your mission’s budget should be empty at the end of your mission’s year. There is no reason to save your missions giving when billions are dying and going to Hell. We ask missionaries to go by faith, our people to give by faith and then we don’t spend by faith.

These are just a few things you can do to keep your missions program from becoming a missing missions program. I love missions and all the churches that give to missions. The most exciting missions giving churches are those who keep their missions program from disappearing when their missions conferences are over.

Dr. Steve Heidenreich
http://missionsminutes.blogspot.com

by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich

In the past few months, I have had the opportunity to help other people help missionaries in times of great need. Thank God for many missionaries who have responded to the call of God to take the precious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the regions beyond. My family and I lived on the mission for over 15 years. I have traveled for 13 years and have worked with many missionaries from multiple countries. I have seen many difficult times of need missionaries have gone through. These years were a great teaching time for me to learn how to respond to those dear people when in great need.

Let me share a few things that I believe will help those of us who love missionaries and want to be a help in their times of need.

First, let’s remember that they are God’s missionaries. I heard someone say, “We don’t support them, they’re not one of our missionaries. Should we be doing anything for them?” In the time of great need, we shouldn’t worry about whose missionaries they are, but respond as God would lead us. Remember they are God’s missionaries reaching the people for whom His Son died.

Second, I believe that the greatest weapon we have at our disposal is prayer. We should go to God on their behalf. We have a son and his family on the mission field in the Philippines. My wife and I know too well what it feels like when they go through critical times. We feel so helpless, and yes, we hurt and weep for them. So, we go to our knees and ask God to do what we want to do and can’t. We have to ask our Father to put them in His arms and comfort, protect and guide them through His will at that specific time. Would you be the person who would hold them up in prayer?

Third, be understanding during their time of difficultly. Remember many of us have great resources around us to help in the time of need. Many missionaries have to make decisions with what little resources they have available, and you and I may wonder why they do some things the way that they do. Don’t you think they want what is best for all involved for them and their family. There are times when they don’t have any choice but to have to go with what’s happening at the time. They would gladly do what some of you would do if they had the opportunity. So, please try to understand them when they need you the most.

Fourth, when you have the opportunity to do so, help them financially. I like the story of the good Samaritan. He said, “Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.” I believe with all my heart that God will bless churches more than ever when they help missionaries who are in great need.

I am writing this article as I am flying to the Philippines to encourage my 11 year-old granddaughter who has been fighting a serious bout of Dengue Fever. Many thousands of people have prayed and encouraged them in so many ways. I am so glad when God intervenes and uses His people to help when there seems that there is no way through. So many of God’s people love missionaries and make it possible for them to make it through times of great need.

I believe that God receives so much glory when His people respond together to take care of His missionaries when they don’t have the needed resources, and when they go through times of great need.

Dr. Steve Heidenreich
http://missionsminutes.blogspot.com