Featured Article: The First Obedience

Andy Bonikowsky“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. . . .
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.” (Gen 1:3 & Mat 9:9)

The first to obey God’s voice in the Bible was light . . . or was it nothing?! The actual facts are that God spoke to nothing and told light to exist. Nothing responded, so to speak, and there was light.

Sure, that sounds sort of odd, but by focusing on the creation this way, we are reminded of a very important Biblical truth. God is the One who both speaks and empowers. He is the ultimate reason for every good thing that is ever created or happens. When the Lord spoke to the deaf and dumb void, reality sprung into being.

The process continued after light was created, when the firmament and water appeared, and then dry land showed itself. Next the Lord spoke and all herbs and trees snapped into sight. Then again came the creating Word, and the sun, moon, and stars turned on.

Next in line to respond in obedience to the Maker’s voice were the birds and sea animals, followed by every other living creature on earth. Finally, the culminating moment arrived, though in a curious twist of the pattern, Jehovah did not speak to nothing this time. He picked up some already made dust, personally formed it into a man, and made woman from him.

The entire sequence of creation came about in a chain of perfect obedience to the Words of God.

And how could it be otherwise?

All of this was beautiful and glorious and right. The Creator and His creation communicated in perfect harmony. His speech produced instant fruit.

Part of the mystery and marvel of it all was in the amazing Word that came from God. The sound was directed towards the powerless blank space, which by itself could do nothing. But with the Word came the very power needed for obedience. Ultimately it was all from God!

This perfect formula hasn’t changed over the centuries. The process of faith happens when impotent man hears the Word, and embraces it, knowing that with it comes the power to obey.

He who has ears to hear will pay attention to the Word of God. He will not pretend to have any special ability in himself but will expect to receive it from the very Word he hears. After all, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Word that was in the beginning, that was with God, and was God, continues to speak through the Scriptures. He calls out to man with words that cannot be misunderstood . . . only disobeyed.

“Follow me.”

How tragic that as far back as Eden man has used his God-given power of choice, to go against the example of light and firmament and tree and sun. The very quality that is our unique crown is turned into a deadly noose.

Today, the same challenge stands. I am not forced to respond correctly, like nature around me. Rather, it is my privilege to obey willingly, with thankfulness, with praise, with awe.

Dear Father, I look to You and want to obey. Help me remember that even as I read Your Word and hear Your voice, You are offering the power to say, “Yes, Lord.” and act. Amen.

Our Current World Wide Family

Click the link above to download a PDF of our current World Wide Family. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document.  Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

Prayers & Dates: March 2015

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for March. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document.  Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

From the Memo Board: March 2015

Upcoming Dates

  • March 15 Please submit your Doctrinal Agreement by this date. Refer to the email that was sent for more information.
  • June 15-18 Family Fellowship Week in Greensboro, NC

 

Special Projects

From time to time you may have a need to raise funds for a special purchase.  Often our missionaries will raise funds for Bibles, hymnbooks, pews, vehicles, building programs, or assistance for nationals serving in their ministries, among other things.

If you will be raising funds for a special project such as this please contact the Mission Office as soon as you can, preferably in advance.  The Executive Board must vote on any special projects for which funds are received in the Mission Office.

Did you know that there are times when extra funds like this could impact your W-2 amount?  For instance, funds raised for the purchase of a vehicle or land cannot be listed as an expense on your Financial Report, so you would need to claim the income, and then confer with your tax preparer regarding how that expense may affect your personal taxes.  Because of this, there may be a need to adjust your estimated tax payments throughout the year.

We also have an area of our website where we can post special projects for you.  This gives exposure to your need.  When contacting us about the need, please let us know if you would like for us to publish it on the mission website.

Our staff can better serve you when we are aware in advance that you may be expecting funds for a special need.  Thank you for your help in this area of keeping us informed!

 

Julie BrownNew Baby

Congratulations to Matt & Nikki Brown on the birth of their baby girl! Julie Nicole Brown was born at 9:12 PM on February 17th (Cambodian time). She weighed a healthy 6 pounds 4 ounces and was 19.7 inches long. Matt & Nikki have been in Cambodia just over a year. Their son, Joshua, is two years old.

 

Family Fellowship Week

If you will be in the United States in June, please be sure to join us for our annual Family Fellowship Week. This year’s meeting will be hosted by Pastor Fred Daniel, Jr., and the members of Brookhaven Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC. The meeting will begin with supper on Monday evening, June 15, and will end after the Thursday evening service on June 18. More information will be coming to you soon, but please be sure to mark the dates on your calendar now, and begin making arrangements to join us! Meals and lodging are always provided by the church, so the only cost to you would be your transportation, and a minimal cost for children’s activities.

 

Missionary Housing

Daniel & Linda Draime have a home in Ocala, FL, that they have made available to missionaries and others in Christian service who are on deputation, furlough, or vacation. It is a two bedroom, two bath home, and is fully equipped for a family of four. You may contact them by email at [email protected] for more information.

From Our President: March 2015

Danny WhetstoneDarleen and I just returned from Africa. It was our pleasure to visit with Stephen and Julie Knickerbocker.  They are working with Brother Shumaker, and he has been serving in Burkina Faso for ten years. I had the opportunity to preach four times while there. They had a friend day at church on Sunday morning and seven men, among others, accepted Christ as their Savior. They also permitted me to teach a number of local pastors for almost four hours. The Knickerbockers have their sights set on starting their own ministry in the future. We were blessed by their steadfast faithfulness to the Lord.

We also made a trip to Togo with our son David. Pastor Rod Bell, Jr., his family, and two young men from their school travelled with us. Many things took place, but the highlight opportunity for Pastor Bell and me was the joy of teaching twelve to nineteen village pastors for many hours over three days. There were also ladies meetings and teen meetings going on at the same time. It was a delight to see these pastors discovering things in the Bible that simply brightened their eyes with delight!

There are so many needs around the world. No wonder Paul warned Timothy about getting entangled with the affairs of this world to the degree that he could not function as a good soldier for Christ. We do not need to fabricate any unnecessary battles or needs today. Just place your finger on any land mass on the globe and you more than likely will find a great need. Multitudes need Christ, babes in Christ need nourishment and many servants need to be taught the Word of God. Don’t permit a sideline circus to rob you of the joy of completing the task that the Lord has for you.

I am blessed to be a part of World Wide New Testament Baptist Mission, and my heart is moved when a member of our missions family tells how they pray for others. Would you consider taking a look at our website regularly and praying specifically for others around the world that labor for the Lord as you do?

I pray the the Lord will bless you with His manifested presence in your life, family and ministry this month.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone