On a better note the attendance of the church seems to be increasing. We are consistently getting the word out via c.d.

The church is small but is becoming more and more mature and independent of me. They are taking more and more ownership and responsibility as we stress the need for self-governmetn, propagation, and sustainment.

A young man named Siyakudumisa is maturing in the faith. He has fantastic grandparents that are some of the most treasured people of Madiba Bay. I know it is their dream that this young man would be used by God to declare His gospel.

Babalo is doing a fantastic job with the new children’s church.

Sipho preached a great message as he continues through the Gospel of John.

The other two Sunday School teachers, Lubabalo, and Nyameka are growing and continuing to be used in the church.

A Disciple of Christ is a Believing Person:
1. living a life of conscious and constant identification with Christ
a. in life, death, and resurrection
b. in words, behaviour, attitudes, motives and purposes
2. fully realizing Christ’s absolute ownership of his life
3. joyfully embracing the saviorhood of Christ
4. delighting in the lordship of Christ
5. living by the abiding, indwelling resources of Christ
6. according to the imprinted pattern and purpose of Christ
7. for the chief end of glorifying his Lord and Savior.

[Peters 188]

The Our Generation Summit is an annual gathering in Pigeon Forge, TN, of Christians with a heart for world missions. Pastors and missionaries, teachers and students, businessmen and families join for three days to address the needs of a world waiting for the Gospel.

Located once again at the beautiful Music Road Hotel in the center of action-packed Pigeon Forge, the OG Summit provides a fantastic venue for any church or youth group seeking an easy-to-organize winter retreat filled with excitement and passion for Christ.

Dates: December 30, 31, & January 1st
More Information: http://bcwe.org/events/our-generation-summit/

It comes to us in many ways. Here we find it coming in the form of wisdom and prudence. (v.8)
The wisdom and prudence being referred to here is found in the next verse. God has given us a great amount of wisdom and prudence in the revelation of the mystery of His will. (v. 9) He revealed something to the church age that O.T. believers had no idea about.

God did this according to His own goodness. No one pressured God into giving us this great favor. He did it out of the goodness that He purposed in Himself from the beginning. (v.9)

This mystery is defined in verse 10. It is the gathering in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and on earth. They are to be one in Christ.

This is happening right now. Through the church, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. We are all one in Christ. That is not to say there is no distinction between God’s chosen people and the church.

The church is not Israel and Israel is not the church. God is still going to finish His plan with His chosen people. But, in the church, both Jews and Gentiles are able to be saved and made into one body under the headship of Christ. (v. 10)

In Christ, through the mystery, we have obtained a privilege/inheritance (v.11). That is that we have been predestined to be to the ones that can/should offer praise for His glory. (v. 11)

Notice the order in verse 11. We are not predestined to an inheritance but because we have obtained an inheritance we become part of the ones that should praise God’s glory. The predestination is a result of obtaining the inheritance. God has predestined that the ones that obtain the inheritance should be the one that praise His name. This is according to His will. (v. 11)

God makes sure we understand the process in verse 12. Paul emphasizes once again that God willed that those who have trusted Christ are privileged to be the ones to praise His glory. (v. 12)

What does this mean to you and I?

Well, in verse 10, Paul uses the word dispensation. That word means stewardship. This mystery that has been revealed to us is something that you and I have been chosen to be stewards over. We are to guard it, and commit it to other faithful men.

In Col 1:25 Paul speaks of his responsibility to the dispensation/stewardship. He says, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;”

We (the church) are the ministers of the mystery message. It was a secret but now God wants it to be made known to the world.

Simon played a crucial part in making this stewardship known to the early church.
Acts 15:14 - Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

The purpose of the mystery is “…to take out of them (Gentiles) a people for his name ( a people that would praise His glory Eph. 1:5,12,14).

Back in the verse we looked at in Col 1:25 we see the purpose of the stewardship it is “to me for you, …”
Who have you shared this mystery with today?

If you know of this mystery are you guarding it?

It was committed to you. Someone thought of you as a faithful person, was that a mistake?
God no longer wants it a secret. The time is right. He wants it published, preached and propagated throughout the world so that there would be a people for His name taken out of every nation!!!

Hodges has some tremendous material in toward the back of this little book in which he summarizes the missionary’s ministry to the indigenouss church.

Here is the summary of what he says:
1. The missionary is primarily a planter of churches. This includes two phases: evangelizing the lost, teaching the new Christians, and training national leadership.

2. “The missionary is a temporary factor in any local area, and he should build the church in such a way that it will be able to continue after he is gone.” He should not make himself the indispensable part of the church. He should not make everything rise and fall on himself. “Make the church the center.”

3. The missionary should not allow himself to become bogged down with the routine of maintaining the work, but seek to occupy new fields. He cannot expect every detail of evangelism and organization to be worked out perfectly before he relinquishes the direct oversight.

4. “The missionary should refuse to occupy a position that a national can fill. He should avoid becoming tied down to a local pastorate, but keep free for the work of extension. He should count it a triumph when he is able to place upon the shoulders of national leaders the responsibilities which he has been carrying.”

5. “The missionary should not be jealous of his own authority or position, but be willing for others to take the lead. If the national church has produced leaders who can fill the offices in the work, the missionary should not object to their taking office; nay, he should insist that they do so.”

6. “There is undoubtedly a danger that the missionary may withdraw too soon from the work.” But there is also the danger that he may fail to withdraw at the proper time. A withdrawel is too soon when the missionary leaves the FIELD before he has provided for the teaching and leadership that are vital to the indigenous church.”

****”Failure to withdraw at the proper time breeds discontent and dwarfs the national Christian leadership. It also holds the missionary in that one district when he could have moved on to a fruitful pioneer ministry.”*****

Adam is a graduate of Crown College, and seminary and has a desire to be of help wherever the Lord will allow. While home on furlough I spoke to him about coming over short-term and helping out until the Lord gives him further direction. He prayed about it and is now pursuing it.

He will be teaching classes, learning language, and helping out with a new church plant while he is here.

He is working back home and at the same time trying to raise the needed funds to come over for several months.

Adam is going to need somewhere around $5,000.00 to $7,000.00. I know this is alot of money especially during these hard economic times but I just ask you to pray for him and I know that God will supply every dollar he needs.

All of his support will be sent to Macedonia World Baptist Missions, P.O. Box 519
Braselton, GA 30517 USA

Thanks

You have to think biblically about the church. The church is called Christ’s body in Ephesians 1:22,23.

“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

Christ is the head and we as members of local assemblies are His body. Each local assembly is complete. That is, if the “members” of that body are fulfilling their chosen roles.

If you were to quit/remove your membership today would the body that you are a member of be affected? If not, that is an insult to you!

Even the smallest toe on your foot serves great purpose to the overall balance of your entire body. You may seem insignificant (a lie from Satan) but the Bible assures us that each of us play crucial parts.

What steps have you taken to strengthen the wellbeing of your (church) body? Have you made yourself available to help? Are you giving your time, talents, and treasures to the Lord? Are you allowing your gifts to show forth and bless your fellow members?

It’s time to step up and fill the role you have already been given!!!

As we continue to look into the book of Ephesians we begin to understand and appreciate more and more the salvation that God has provided for us.

Here Paul says…

1. …we have redemption –
This word redemption is a powerful word and can be defined and illustrated in a number of ways.

Here is a simple definition and example: It is to be freed from sin’s power so that it doesn’t have power to rule over us anymore. In other words sin’s handcuffs have been released. We are no longer bound by sin. Through Him (Christ) we have been released from bondage.

It also means – the act of saving somebody from a corrupted state and restoring him/her to a better condition.

Furthermore it also means that our ransom price has been paid.

In the Roman prisons of this time the offenses, charges, and punishment of the criminal were nailed outside the cell of the prisoner. When the criminal had paid his dues he would be given a receipt that stated that he had served his time and paid in full his determined punishment.

When Christ redeemed you He paid in full (on the cross) all the sins you ever did (past, present, and future).

In Christ we have true freedom! John 8:34 – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

You have been set free in such a way that you can now do what is right and actually serve the Lord. Before you could not do this, even your best was filthiness to God. But now in your redemption you are able to glorify God!!!

This brings us to the next part of the verse.

2. …through His blood - In the O.T. on the Day of Atonement the High Priest would make sacrifrice for the sins of the people. The blood thereof would be sprinkled on the mercy seat.

The high priest would also use another goat for the purpose of serving as a scapegoat. The high priest would pray and confess the sins of the people and put symbolically place them on the goat. Then the goat would be sent to wander off into the desert. (Lev. 16)

Psalms 103:12 – “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and caused them to be lost forever, never to be found again.

Notice in the verse from Psalms that God says “As far as the east is from the west,…” This is important because there are in fact north and south poles that can be located. But there are no determined points that one can use to distinguish how far the east is from the west. In other words God is saying they are lost!

When God looks at you, child of God, He doesn’t see your sins, rather He sees the blood of the Lamb that was slain. John referred to Christ as our scapegoat in His proclamation in John 1:29 – “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Jesus, as the Lamb of God, (our scapegoat) took the sins of the world away!!!

3. …the forgiveness of sins - This simply means that God wipes our slate clean. Unlike when you wipe a literal slate clean and it leaves behind enough markings to still read was once intentionally written, when God wipes our slate clean it is as if our slate is brand new having never been written upon.

You have been redeemed. Christ paid your sin debt and set you free. Now”…ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Cor 6:20)

Don’t abuse your freedom. Do with it what it was intended for – to glorify God!!!

Today, we were distributing boxes of John/Romans in the main business section of the township, Njoli Square. There are taxis, street venders, and people all over the place. Well, we pulled up and started unloading the boxes and began handing them out when out of nowhere a guy comes up and grabs handfuls of them and begins passing them out.

He was a bit drunk and looking to make some money. Needless to say I couldn’t get through to him that I wouldn’t pay him and that all the helpers that were there were members of the church. He wouldn’t listen and I have to say he was hustling to get those books passed out. He did a great job:)

Obviously, I didn’t want a drunk man passing out literature for the church but sometimes you have to pick your fights and starting an argument at Njoli Square would not be wise. At first I was like, no way this is happening, I cannot have a drunk man passing out literature! Then, I said to myself it’s not worth getting all worked up over. I just relaxed and let him help us out. Who knows maybe someone took the book from him and went home and trusted Christ as their Savior.

God has chosen you. He has chosen everyone that is in Christ Jesus. Before the world was created God looked out into eternity future and could see all that would accept His Son as Saviour. Those were chosen by God.

Illus: Let’s say I walk into the children’s church at the beginning of the month and tell the teacher that all the children that are faithful all month long will get an ice cream party at the end of the month. I have chosen ALL of the children that are faithful. At the beginnning of the month and then repeatedly throughout the month the teacher will be telling the children to be faithful in order to be apart of the ice cream party.

It is not that I reject the unfaithful but that I set a requirement and they refused to meet it. So it is that God has set a requirement and only those that obey it will be accepted by Him. God says “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (Jn. 3:36) God knew all of this before creation.

Throughout time God has had people preach His requirement for entrance into Heaven. Only the “chosen” will be accepted. The “chosen” are the ones that will accept Jesus Christ as Savior. God already knows who these are but that doesn’t mean He makes them choose Him and makes others reject Him.

Norman Geisler says that “Forced love is rape; and God is not a divine rapist.” God created us as free beings. This was dangerous but was necessary. It allowed us to choose Him or to reject Him. We rejected Him in the beginning and now He has given us an opportunity for redemption through Jesus Christ. Thus, again allowing for freedom of choice. This is the only way to the best possible world. A world where people who have heard, and heeded the great love message of God and will be with Him forever without sin.

We are chosen because we are in Christ. And we are in Christ so that we can be holy and without blame. In other words so that we can be unblemished, consecrated offerings for the glory of God. We are His workmanship created for good works.

By God’s own love He has transformed us from children of wrath to Sons of God so that we now can bring glory to His name as holy and blameless servants.