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Serve the Lord with Gladness

By John O’Malley

“Serve the Lord with gladness…” (Psalm 100:2).

I have been in homes where there were servants in abundance. I met servants who prepared the food and managed hospitality in the home. I met servants who cared for household tasks from cutting the grass, to washing the laundry, to managing the repairs of the automobiles of the owner.

In those encounters with servants, it was rare to see a servant overcome with gladness in their work. While some were glad for the income, others were satisfied with the lodging and meals. Others, I recall, loved the stability of work but did not like the position of serving. These same servants would be happy doing something else if the pay were better.

Most people in the western world would consider being a servant demeaning. To most, being a servant sounds menial. They find it degrading and unfulfilling. Some would think that serving others diminishes their self-worth.

The psalmist opens the second verse with a phrase that appears to be oxymoronic. He calls those who are commanded to make a joyful noise to now serve. He tells them to serve the Lord with gladness. How can one serve with gladness? It seems to go against the grain.

The follower of Christ is called to serve the Lord. He or she must serve the Lord with a specific disposition or mindset. The psalmist says they are to serve Him with gladness.

What does gladness in a servant look like? Gladness is the joy of a mother when she is with her child. It is the delight of a prisoner upon being freed. Gladness is the feeling associated with singing your favorite song before the Lord in public or private worship.

Proverbs 10:1 helps me learn the meaning of gladness. The writer of Proverbs presents a contrast using the parent-child relationship. The son that is wise makes his father glad; but if a son is foolish, he brings a heaviness to his mother. What a beautiful picture is given here for us! Gladness is the absence of heaviness of the spirit.

I would like you to consider yourself as a servant of the Lord. Ask yourself these questions: What is my spirit or attitude when I serve the Lord at my house? Do I display the maternal joy mentioned above as I serve the Lord by meeting the needs of my children and spouse? Do I have the liberty and delight of a prisoner released from their confines when I serve the Lord in my house? Does the song of my heart find its expression in signing? Do I have such gladness in my service? Have I lost delight in my service to the Lord and others—even among my own family?

I want you to extend your vision beyond your heart and home. This extended look is to see whom you could encourage to serve the Lord with gladness. There could be people in your place of worship that may have lost their gladness in serving. You may be able to help them find their gladness in service.

When your fellow servants of the church come into view, what do you see? How many are there who appear to be serving the Lord with gladness? When the servants of the Lord lose their gladness, they display an image opposite of this proposition in Scripture. We are to serve the Lord with gladness.

When you see those who teach in Sunday School, do you see gladness? When you see ushers and greeters, do you see gladness? When you see choir members and soloists, do you see gladness? When you see the church staff, do you see gladness? If the gladness can evaporate out of your life, you know it can do the same in the lives of others.

Now, I do not want you walking around the church with a gladness meter measuring the levels of gladness in every servant’s heart! What I want you to do is if you see a servant without gladness, pray for them. Then, serve alongside them and exhibit gladness. You will discover that gladness is contagious.

Dear Reader, are you a glad servant? Does gladness arise first when you are faced with a situation to serve? Does gladness show on the outside? Your lips may send one message, but does the attitude of your heart express the Bible’s message of gladness?

Today, take an opportunity to intentionally serve the Lord with gladness. Find someone in your home, at work, or in church on whom you can practice serving the Lord with gladness.

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.

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From the Memo Board: October 2024

Important Dates to Know

October 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

October 1 – September Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

October 14 – Most US banks will be closed for Columbus Day.

November 1 – September Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

November 1 – October Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

November 11 – Most US banks will be closed for Veterans Day.

November 28-29 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Thanksgiving.

December 1 – October Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

December 1 – November Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

December 16 – Please contact us by this date via Signal if you will need funds in your account before Christmas or the end of the year.

December 23-27 – The office will be closed in celebration of Christmas. The office will reopen on December 30th.

April 14-18, 2025 – Family Fellowship Week at Caraway Conference Center in Sophia, NC.

Family Fellowship Week

We are beginning preparations for Family Fellowship Week 2025, which will once again be held at the Caraway Conference Center near Asheboro, NC. Our missions family greatly enjoys this quiet retreat location, which allows all services, lodging, meals, and activities to take place in one place.

Our next meeting will be held April 14-18, 2025. Please make plans to join us! Please watch your email for registration information in the coming days. Final reservations need to be communicated to the office by February 1, 2025.

This is a time to gather for fellowship and encouragement. Meals, lodging, and child care are provided. Attendees are expected to stay the entire week, beginning Monday afternoon and ending after the Thursday evening service. (Lodging Thursday night and breakfast Friday morning are provided, but guests are welcome to leave Thursday evening if they wish.) There will be preaching and teaching sessions in the morning and evening, with free time in the afternoons. The week provides opportunities to rub shoulders with fellow servants from around the world in all stages of ministry. Please plan to join us.

Please keep in mind that as a missionary of WWNTBM, you agreed to attend Family Fellowship Week every four years. You and your family are expected to stay for the entirety of the meeting. Exceptions will be granted by Danny Whetstone and John O’Malley.


Financial Report Reminder

As we enter the last quarter of the year, thoughts turn to year-end tax procedures. Many people begin thinking of last-minute deductions that will affect them. If you anticipate making large ministry purchases and you desire the purchase to be a deduction in the year 2024, you may wish to make the purchase by the end of November. Because of the way our 1099s are calculated, December expenses are “reimbursed” out of January income, so the tax benefit on your 1099 would actually be considered a 2025 reimbursement. Regardless of when the purchase is made, you will still receive a tax benefit. However, we wanted you to be aware of these deadlines as you plan your expenses over the next few months.

New Meal Allowance Rates

The US Government issued updated Meal Allowance rates effective October 2024-September 2025. The standard daily rate within the Continental US has increased from $59 to $68. Please note that if you would like to take advantage of this on your October, November, and December financial reports, you should follow the instructions on the Mileage tab. You can adjust the report by following the steps listed for utilizing international meal allowance rates. If you have a question, please contact us at [email protected]. These new rates will be included as part of the 2025 Financial Report template, which will be available in mid-February 2025.

Financial Couriers

Missionaries occasionally have situations where they request that we send funds through a courier, rather than through normal banking channels. Often this is used when it is beneficial to have US cash brought into a country. We have established the following fiduciary guidelines to ensure full transparency and accountability whenever we distribute funds to an individual who is not a World Wide missionary. If you have questions about this process, please contact our office.

    • If the courier is a US Citizen, they must provide:
      1. A W-9 form for our records
      2. A government-issued photo ID, preferably a passport, that shows their citizenship status
      3. An ACH Credit form with their banking information
    • If the courier is a Non-US Citizen, they must provide:
      1. A W-8BEN form for our records
      2. A government-issued photo ID, preferably a passport, that shows their citizenship and visa status
      3. An ACH Credit form with their banking information

Additional Notes:
If funds will pass through multiple individuals before they reach the missionary, World Wide will need a list of each individual who will handle the funds, so that we can provide the courier with a chain of custody receipt. This receipt should be signed by each individual along the route. The missionary will then return the receipt to World Wide once funds are received.

The Missionary should confirm any restrictions for someone carrying cash into their country. Each country has its own laws about how much cash can be brought in, and whether it needs to be declared to customs officials.
Groups traveling together as they leave the US are limited to carrying a combined total of $10,000 without declaring it for customs purposes. There is no impact to them for declaring it. However, failure to declare funds in excess of $10,000 can result in penalties.

Faith Promise Cards

Thanks to a fellow missionary, our Faith Promise Cards are now available to download in Chinese, French, and Spanish.

The office has three different designs of English Faith Promise cards as well as two designs of Children’s Faith Promise Cards available for download or order. All Faith Promise Cards are free! Donations to help cover the cost of printing and shipping are accepted.

Find these and other helpful resources for your missions conference at helpmymissionsconference.com.

Absentee Voting

In order to vote in the November 2024 elections, all overseas U.S. citizens need to have completed a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) in 2024.  Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, you must complete an FPCA each year to participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter.  Click here for more information about registering to vote.

Uplift

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Episode 163: Family Fellowship Week – Chad Estep

Episode 164: Family Fellowship Week – Mike West

Episode 165: Family Fellowship Week – Georg & Opal Zimmer

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Make a Joyful Noise

By John O’Malley

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands” (Psalm 100:1).

Have you ever been to a large stadium to watch a sporting event? My son and I were given tickets to an NFL game. The crowd that gathered to watch the game numbered over 65,000 people. People from all over the country assembled. The nation watched by television that Monday night. Many wanted to see this battle of the quarterbacks. The crowd could not be silent; everybody had something to say. The noise in that stadium was, at times, deafening.

The psalmist in our text verse today speaks of all the lands of the earth making a joyful noise. Imagine this planet is a stadium. In each section of the stadium, nations are assigned seats. Now, over the loudspeakers, a call is issued for each nation on earth to proclaim its joy for the Lord of Glory. Like in the Olympics, the roll call of nations would begin—each nation longing for the moment when their nation’s name is called. What exuberance! What exaltation! What enthusiasm!

In the Olympics, each participating country sends a delegation to represent them. Have you seen the nations that only send a single athlete? The cheers for that single athlete cannot compare to a nation that sent dozens of athletes to participate. Similarly, in our imagined stadium, the cries from some nations are not as loud as others of the same size. Why not? Why are some nations louder than others? Why is it that there are so few to make a joyful noise from some countries?

Oh, I say, my friend, it is we, the believers, who should have gone to the nations and told them of our great Saviour! We should have thought of our command and commission more than the comforts and conveniences of this life. The command will be issued one day, my friend—a command for all the lands of the earth to bow their knees. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

The celebration of the Saviour from all nations will be splendid. Oh, may we take the challenge from Scripture and go to the people of the world and tell them of His great love. Oh, let us commit once again to the task of getting the gospel to every creature!

Today, purpose in your heart that in the next twenty-four hours, you will share the gospel’s message with someone. Your witness may be their last opportunity to hear. Will you do this?

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.

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From the Memo Board: September 2024

Important Dates to Know

September 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
September 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
September 2 – The Office, and most US Banks, will be closed in recognition of Labor Day.
October 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
October 1 – September Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
November 1 – September Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
November 1 – October Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
April 14-17, 2025 – Family Fellowship Week at Caraway Conference Center in Sophia, NC

Absentee Voting

In order to vote in the November 2024 elections, all overseas U.S. citizens need to have completed a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) in 2024.  Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, you must complete an FPCA each year to participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter.  Click here for more information about registering to vote.

World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions of Canada

Brother and Mrs. O’Malley visited the Bausermans and the Bakkers in Canada.

Brother Bauserman led the mission office in Canada as the Business manager. The O’Malleys went to thank them for their service and to fellowship with them.

After visiting with the Bausermans the O’Malleys drove to visit the Bakkers in Simcoe, Ontario. The Bakkers are members of Bethel Baptist Church in Simcoe.

Mrs. Bakker is an accountant. Mr. Bakker is an associate pastor and quite adept at technology. Together they will assist our office in Canada so Canadian donors and churches can support WWNTBM missionaries in the USA.

We are grateful for the smooth transition between the Bausermans and the Bakkers in conjunction with WWNTBM USA.

Our Canadian office allows our missionaries to receive funds from donors in Canada. Donors can send their donations in Canadian dollars and receive a tax deductible receipt for their Canadian taxes.

Please note the updated contact information for our Canadian Office, effective July 1:

WWNTBM of Canada
PO Box 142
Simcoe, ON, N3Y 4K8
CANADA
226-400-1551

Note this new phone number is for the Bakker’s business, and will be answered as Bakker Books. Email correspondence can still be sent to [email protected]. Canadian financial reports should still be sent to [email protected].

If you will be visiting churches in Canada, please be aware there are special requirements for accountability of the funds, to ensure you do not have to pay taxes in both countries. Contact our office if you have any questions. Bekah Tolley is our staff contact for all matters related to finances and reports for our WWNTBM of Canada office.

Uplift

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Episode 160 – Family Fellowship Week – David Fulp

Episode 161 – Family Fellowship Week – Michael & April Riffel

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From the Memo Board: August 2024

Important Dates to Know

August 1 – June Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

August 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 2 – The Office, and most US Banks, will be closed in recognition of Labor Day.

October 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

October 1 – September Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

April 14-17, 2025 – Family Fellowship Week at Caraway Conference Center in Sophia, NC

Staff Transition Updates

Laura Cmaylo’s final day in our office was July 5. We are grateful for her years of service at World Wide and wish her the best as she focuses on her family and raising her two children.

Naomi Torberson’s final day in our office was July 31. She will begin full-time at Ambassador Baptist College in August.

Laura and Naomi gave testimonies at Family Fellowship Week this year about their years at World Wide. Please listen as they share their hearts with the missions family.

Click here to listen to Laura Cmaylo’s testimony.

Click here to listen to Naomi Torberson’s testimony.

Both of these ladies graciously offered to remain accessible to our staff to answer questions as we transition tasks within our office.

With these changes in our staff, we want to keep our missions family up to date on who will be handling different tasks within the office. If you have a question about a specific area, these are the individuals who can best assist you:

Financial requests or changes in banking details:
Please continue to communicate this information through our main Signal number, 704-750-9493. Brittany Morrow will be the one who will primarily communicate with you at this number. If you do not have the Signal Messenger app, you may always call and speak to our staff on our main office phone number, 704-730-1440. Nikayla Ring will answer and direct your calls to the appropriate staff member.

Non-Resident Aliens:
Kim O’Malley will now serve as your primary contact within our office. Please continue to use the email address [email protected] for your monthly reports, receipts, and correspondence. You may also communicate with her on her personal Signal number, 704-974-1008. Please be sure to keep her informed about all travel to and from the United States, including Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Donations you receive:
Sarah Hanke will process funds from donors, with assistance from Brittany Morrow.

Funds spent from your accounts:
Hannah Brenneman will handle all bill pay, estimated taxes, tithes and offerings, and other expenses reflected on your Ledgers, including support distributions.

Monthly Financial Reports for US Missionaries and those on an R-1 Visa:
Please continue to use the email [email protected] for your monthly reports, receipts, and correspondence about reporting. Brittany Morrow will review the reports, with assistance from Hannah Brenneman and Kim O’Malley.

Prayer Letters:
Please continue to use the email [email protected] for all items related to prayer letters. Bekah Tolley will continue to assist with mailings, MailChimp, and address updates.

Foreign Non-Profit Organizations (FNPOs):
Please continue to submit financial reports via the secure online portal at https://secure.wwntbm.com/fnpo-reporting/. Kim O’Malley will be the point of contact for FNPO-related items.

Mrs. O’Malley manages the entire office as we work together to serve you and your needs. Each staff member has a specialty, but all will assist you with any task. Your calls and emails are never a burden. Thank you for your patience as we transition responsibilities. We want to ensure our missions family we continue to strive to be Selfless, Eager, Responsible, Valuable, and Exceptional. If there is ever a time we do not meet those goals, please let Mrs. Kim know.

Returned Prayer Letters

Please note when our office receives returned prayer letters that have already gone through a forwarding service, we must attach new postage per USPS. Therefore, for the letter to be forwarded, it would cost the first-class letter rate, which is currently $0.69.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

2024 Missionary Milestones

We would like to recognize several ministry milestones being reached during the year 2024. We are grateful for these individuals who continue to serve faithfully.

Click here to view the list in the Headquarter Happenings Folder for Secure Cloud.

IRS Information about Self-Employment Tax Credits

We received the following notice from the IRS. Missionaries are considered to be self-employed. We recommend you speak to your tax advisor if you have questions about any self-employment-related items.

The IRS issued a warning to taxpayers following false information surfacing on social media about a non-existent “Self-Employment Tax Credit.” Misinformation is leading taxpayers to file false claims. These bad promoters claim the credit is offered to self-employed people and gig workers and suggest they may be entitled to upwards of $32,000 in payments. Credits for Sick Leave and Family Leave, a far more specialized and technical credit, is actually the underlying credit that is being discussed on social media instead of the “Self-Employment Tax Credit.” Many people do not qualify for this credit, and the IRS is carefully reviewing claims coming in under this provision so people filing claims do so at their own risk.

Uplift

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Episode 154: Family Fellowship Week: Danny Whetstone

Episode 155: Family Fellowship Week – Randall Jordan Interview

Episode 156: Family Fellowship Week – Scott Norman Interview

Episode 157: Family Fellowship Week – Stephen Minion Testimony

Episode 158: Family Fellowship Week – Naomi Torberson Testimony

Episode 159: Family Fellowship Week – Laura Cmaylo Testimony

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See the Harvest Scotland 2024

In June, travelers from all over the U.S. embarked on a journey. Some knew from past experiences, but others did not; this journey would be physical and spiritual.

• Scotland in need of the Gospel.
• Missionaries in need of help and encouragement.
• Travelers in need of an eye-opening cultural and spiritual experience.

These things brought us to Scotland this summer, a land of atheism and agnosticism. See The Harvest took two teams: Team Livingstone and Team Carey. Each team named after a great missionary the United Kingdom produced in centuries past.

Team Livingstone (June 3-13)

 

The goal of Team Livingstone: get a copy of John & Romans through the letterbox (mail slot) of every home in the city of Dumfries, Scotland. Only by God’s grace and strength on our team we accomplished this goal. The goal of Team Carey: invite people to, and hold a week-long revival meeting at Solway Baptist Church, followed by a three-day kids Bible club. Though not without our adversary, Satan, trying to deter us, we accomplished this goal.

Our travelers on Team Livingstone came with determination, knowing they were the ones to hit the streets hard. Without complaint, many of them, if not all, ended up walking around 6-7 miles per day. No easy task, but our people were motivated by the Gospel and saw each door as a family that needs Christ. God can use people with a perspective like that in ways outside of our own strength. We sowed seed, knowing that was our job and our goal.

Team Carey came ready and willing to serve in any capacity needed, whether it was singing, song-leading, preaching, or teaching. Since the services were in the evening, our people participated in a variety of ministries during the day: letterboxing, stuffing literature, and street evangelism. By our group’s testimony, God used this to grow and challenge many team members. The “comfort zone” is where Godly fear goes to die. Our people spent most of their time outside their comfort zones, allowing God to influence them in unexpected ways. Along with daily ministry, travelers learned what it is like for over 15,000 John & Romans, 15,000 salvation tracts, and over 7,000 event invitations to be given out and receive little to no response. During our revival week, we had zero visitors from the community. During our Kids Bible Club, we had zero visitors from the community. This is not because of a failure on our part.

Team Carey (June 16-27)

 

See The Harvest Scotland 2024 accomplished what we set out to do, and we left the rest up to God. We showed up for him, and we believe the work put in by our people was not in vain, but rather, exactly what Scotland needed. We put a physical copy of God’s word in every home in Dumfries, giving them a choice to make. I do not know anyone who trashes their mail without first inspecting it. Somebody in each home held a copy of Scripture and a road map to salvation. It could be the only one they ever receive. The United Kingdom was once the epicenter of Christianity, but no longer. We did our part in helping those bringing the light of the Gospel to such a dark nation.

• Over 15,000 copies of Scripture were given out.
• Our host family was encouraged by the fellowship and work that was put in by the team.
• Our travelers left burdened for the people of Scotland and world evangelism.

See The Harvest Scotland, 2024 was a success.

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My List of Things to Do

By John O’Malley

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations” (Psalm 100:1-5).

I grew up in a ministry home. My father and mother served in church ministry and Christian education. At times, they left us kids at home as they tended to ministry duties. When they did leave, they would give us a list of chores to do before they returned. When my parents returned, they expected us to have the chores done.

There were times, as children, we would say we did not understand their instructions. Their instructions were always simple: “Do this. Take care of this. Go here. Pick this up. Handle this.” Yet we found ways not to do those tasks. Upon our parents’ return, we declared to our parents that we did not understand the assignments.

In truth, their tasks were always simple. It was just that, as children, we could be lazy. However, it did not matter if we understood the task. Our parents held us accountable for each task assigned.

The psalmist in this psalm of praise gives seven divine assignments. These assignments are simple. They are easy to understand because the Word of God is not complicated.

If the Word of God seems complicated, it is because we have tried to twist the meaning or because we used tradition to interpret the meaning. Sometimes, because we are lazy, we say the Word of God sounds complicated. The Word of God is easy to understand.

Look with me at the simplicity of these seven action words found in this psalm. The psalmist uses them in successive order: Make. Serve. Come. Know. Enter. Be. Bless.

The psalmist calls us to serve the Lord with gladness. Do you serve the Lord? If you do, do you serve the Lord with gladness? Gladness is an attitude of the heart. The psalmist in Psalm 4:7 speaks of gladness as when the farmer celebrates his harvest. In Psalm 30:11, he states that when his mourning and sackcloth were put off, he put on gladness with dancing. When you serve the Lord, do you have that kind of gladness? The gladness commanded here is first a decision; then it is an expression.

The psalmist calls us to come to the Lord’s presence with singing. How often do you come into His presence with singing? Does it seem you come more times into His presence with complaining and whining than singing? How pleasant it must be to God to hear us sing! Like serving the Lord with gladness is a choice, so is coming before His presence with singing. The darkest hours of our lives can be brightened with our choice to sing. Jesus sang with His disciples before His betrayal. Paul and Silas sang at midnight from prison. When you realize God is awake in your darkest hour and is present to hear you sing, knowing He is listening makes the choice to sing easier.

The psalmist calls on us to know the Lord is God. It seems, at first glance, too simple. You might say, “I know He is God.” But do you? Do you know He is God when the pathway grows dark? Do you know He is God when the way gets hard? Do you know He is God when sickness comes? Do you know He is God when death comes to your family? It is a command. We are to know, at all times, He is God.

The psalmist calls us to enter into His gates with thanksgiving. It seems impossible to conceive that we could be anything other than in a perpetual state of thanksgiving. However, life distracts us from thanksgiving. Doubts and fears rob us of our thanksgiving. Yet it is a command. As we enter the presence of the Lord, we are to do so with thanksgiving. Do you do this?

The psalmist calls us to be thankful unto Him. In the New Testament, Paul calls us to the same task. He wrote to the Thessalonians that in everything, we are to give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18). The previous command of thanksgiving and this word “thankful” are the same word in the Hebrew language. When we see the word “thanksgiving,” it is an expression of words of praise. Thanksgiving is a testimony offered giving praise to God.

The word “thankful” is the internal gratitude of heart and mind. Our praise of thanksgiving comes from a disposition of thankfulness. Being thankful is a simple command. It is insufficient to just have thoughts of thankfulness when it comes to God. Our thoughts of thankfulness to God must become oral expressions. These expressions of thanksgiving are told to others, told to God, and spoken within our own hearts. Our expression of thanksgiving must come from a spirit of thankfulness. Are you thankful? Do you offer words of thanksgiving to Him?

The psalmist calls us to bless the name of the Lord. The spirit of this word means to bend our knee and express our sentiment of worship to God. The previous two commands of thanksgiving and thankfulness will produce this action. We must tell Him we are thankful. We must give thanks. His name is above every name. His name alone is worthy of our worship. When did you last follow this simple command?

Each of these action words is a task left for you to do. I encourage you to take them to heart. Analyze each command. Make a list of these seven commands. Compare these commands to your life; then evaluate your obedience to them. Ask yourself these questions:

    • Do I make a joyful noise to the Lord?
    • Do I serve the Lord with gladness?
    • Do I come before His presence with singing?
    • Do I know that the Lord is God?
    • Do I enter His gates with thanksgiving?
    • Am I thankful unto Him?
    • Do I bless His name?

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.

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From the Memo Board: July 2024

Important Dates to Know

July 1 – May Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

July 1 – June Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

July 4 – The Office, and most US Banks, will be closed in celebration of Independence Day.

August 1 – June Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

August 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 1 – July Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 1 – August Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

September 2 – The Office, and most US Banks, will be closed in recognition of Labor Day.

April 14-17, 2025 – Family Fellowship Week at Caraway Conference Center in Sophia, NC

Staff Transition Updates

Laura Cmaylo’s final day in our office was July 5. We are grateful for her years of service at World Wide and wish her the best as she focuses on her family and raising her two children. She has graciously offered to remain accessible to our staff to answer questions as we transition tasks within our office.

Bekah Tolley plans to return from her maternity leave on July 15. With the added responsibilities of the new baby, her primary tasks and work hours will be changing to better accommodate her family needs.

Naomi Torberson’s final day in our office will be July 31. She will begin full time at Ambassador Baptist College in August. Through the next few weeks she will focus on ensuring our office procedures are up to date and that staff are trained to step into new areas of responsibility.

With these changes in our staff, we want to keep our missions family up to date on who will be handling different tasks within the office. If you have a question about a specific area, these are the individuals who can best assist you:

Financial requests or changes in banking details:
Please continue to communicate this information through our main Signal number, 704-750-9493. Brittany Morrow will be the one who will primarily communicate with you at this number. If you do not have the Signal Messenger app, you may always call and speak to our staff on our main office phone number, 704-730-1440. Nikayla Ring will answer and direct your calls to the appropriate staff member.

Non-Resident Aliens:
Kim O’Malley will now serve as your primary contact within our office. Please continue to use the email address [email protected] for your monthly reports, receipts, and correspondence. You may also communicate with her on her personal Signal number, 704-974-1008. Please be sure to keep her informed about all travel to and from the United States, including Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Donations you receive:
Sarah Hanke will process funds from donors, with assistance from Brittany Morrow.

Funds spent from your accounts:
Hannah Brenneman will handle all bill pay, estimated taxes, tithes and offerings, and other expenses reflected on your Ledgers, including support distributions.

Monthly Financial Reports for US Missionaries and those on an R-1 Visa:
Please continue to use the email [email protected] for your monthly reports, receipts, and correspondence about reporting. Brittany Morrow will review the reports, with assistance from Hannah Brenneman and Kim O’Malley.

Prayer Letters:
Please continue to use the email [email protected] for all items related to prayer letters. Bekah Tolley will continue to assist with mailings, MailChimp, and address updates.

Foreign Non-Profit Organizations (FNPOs):
Please continue to submit financial reports via the secure online portal at https://secure.wwntbm.com/fnpo-reporting/. Kim O’Malley will be the point of contact for FNPO related items.

Mrs. O’Malley manages the entire office as we work together to serve you and your needs. Each staff member has a speciality, but all will assist you with any task. Your calls and emails are never a burden. Thank you for your patience as we transition responsibilities. We want to ensure our missions family we continue to strive to be Selfless, Eager, Responsible, Valuable, and Exceptional. If there is ever a time we do not meet those goals, please let Mrs. Kim know.

World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions of Canada

Ernie and Darlene Bauserman have faithfully managed WWNTBM of Canada for 24 years. In 2019 the Bausermans retired from over 30 years of missionary service, but have continued to voluntarily manage the Canadian office. We are grateful for their sacrificial ministry that has allowed many of our missionaries to receive funds from Canadian donors.

Over two years ago, Brother Bauserman began asking us to find his replacement as he pursued retirement. The Lord has led us to partner with Calvin and Amanda Bakker. Bro. Bakker is the associate pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Simcoe, and together they operate a private bookkeeping service. The Bakkers have been working with our staff for several months to facilitate the transition of duties.

Please note the updated contact information for our Canadian Office, effective July 1:

WWNTBM of Canada
PO Box 142
Simcoe, ON, N3Y 4K8
CANADA
226-400-1551

Note this new phone number is for the Bakker’s business, and will be answered as Bakker Books. Email correspondence can still be sent to [email protected]. Canadian financial reports should still be sent to [email protected].

If you would like to contact the Bausermans to thank them for their years of service, you may click here to email them.

If you will be visiting churches in Canada, please be aware there are special requirements for accountability of the funds, to ensure you do not have to pay taxes in both countries. Contact our office if you have any questions. Bekah Tolley will remain our staff contact for all matters related to finances and reports for our WWNTBM of Canada office.

New Babies!

Céleste Amélie Folkers was born on April 11 to Seth and Kaitlin Folkers, who minister in Cameroon. She joins older siblings Atarah (5), Benaiah (4), and Christy (2). Pray for the Folkers as they are seeking to purchase land and build a new building for their ministry.

Anderson (Andy) James Tolley was born on June 2. He weighed 9 pounds 9 ounces, and was 21.5 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well! Andy is the son of our Office Assistant Rebekah Tolley and her husband Brandon. He joins older brother Davey, who is 2.

Uplift

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Episode 152: The Greatest Work in the World – Part 4 & 5 by Allen Mercer

Episode 153: The Greatest Work in the World – Part 6 & 7 by Allen Mercer

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Content With Emptiness

By John O’Malley

1 Samuel 16:14:    “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.”

Have you ever walked into a house without a single piece of furniture? Every room seems large without the usual articles that accompany a house. There is a lonely feeling to being in such a house where the owner no longer occupies. You look at it and say, “Something doesn’t look right.”

Saul is undoubtedly a house without furniture. You walk into his life through the pages of Scripture and see no furniture. “Something is not right here,” you say. Yes, it is a house, but it doesn’t look right. You get a feeling of empty loneliness when you look at him. The owner’s belongings have been removed from the premises.

Sad is the day when our sinful choices evict the Spirit of the Lord’s communion with us. The Scripture says, “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul.”  The Spirit of the Lord was there no longer. He left. How empty the house of Saul’s life became! Today, in our churches, both in the pew and the pulpit, I have seen empty “houses of the heart” in believers. The believer’s “house of the heart” is no longer filled with the Lord’s Spirit. Many go through the spiritual motions, but they are empty personally. No wonder churches gathering for worship in the Lord’s house are empty corporately. There seems to be contentment with the emptiness.

Is the house of your heart empty today? Does the emptiness no longer plague you? Turn to Him. Evict every obstinate way from your heart and seek a fresh filling today of His presence!

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.

 

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Be a Jonathan

By John O’Malley

1 Samuel 23:15-17 “And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.”

January 4, 1991, the telephone rang in my home at 10:45 p.m. The news was unsettling at best. My father had collapsed in his home and was being rushed to the hospital. The next call was the news of his death. The next day, I went to be with my mother and siblings. The day following, a friend of mine, Danny Whetstone, drove over 1,000 miles to come and sit with me. For the next 48 hours, all he did was strengthen my hand in God. Those hours I needed a friend, and God sent me one.

David, the king anointed, was on the run. Saul had relentlessly been pursuing David to take his life. David represented everything Saul used to be and now was not. Recently, David had been in Keilah. When Saul learned of this, he moved immediately to attack. God confirmed in David’s heart that he needed to head to the woods of Ziph. In the woods of Ziph, God knew exactly what David needed. He sent his best friend Jonathan to him.

Odd, isn’t it? Jonathan could find David, but Saul could not. Jonathan walked into the woods and found his friend. Consider this: he forsook his king and his father’s wishes to find his friend and help him. This visit was a precious reunion. David was at a low point. He and his men had been running. Knowing this, God had allowed the heart of Jonathan to be knit to David’s heart in the early days of the palace. So now Jonathan strongly desired to see him.

Jonathan had one thought on his heart: I am going to strengthen my friend in God. Jonathan arrives with his mission clear. Strengthen my friend’s hand in God. Oh, what a transaction of encouragement! What a moment of tender friendship! Jonathan, though unintentionally, set the role of how a friend should respond to another friend’s distress. Look closely at what he did.

    • Jonathan sought to replace David’s worries with the Word of God. (Fear not)
    • Jonathan assured him that his pursuer would not be successful. (…the hand of my father…)
    • Jonathan renewed his hope in the promises of God. (…And thou shalt be king…)

Have you a friend in distress? Has his burden become so heavy that you feel it personally? Well, friend, here is your strategy. Find your friend.  1) Seek to replace his worries with the Word of God. 2.) Tell your friend he will make it.  3.) Tell him that God’s promises are sure.

You know this same David would later have a son who learned well this truth from his father. God would allow him to say, “There hath not failed one word of all his good promise.”

Find your friend today and be a Jonathan to him.

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.