Featured Article: Remember

Andy Bonikowsky“Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;” (1 Chronicles 16:12)

Guess who in the Bible is first said to remember something. God! He remembered Noah who was floating on the flood. Obviously, the verb needs a slightly modified definition when applied to Him, since we can hardly say that He ever forgot anything. But this subject is a fascinating one. Have you ever stopped to ponder the reality of memory?

What a blessing it can be! God is so good to have given us this ability. He could simply have left it out of our makeup, that we not have the capability to rehearse and relish the wonderful experiences of the past. I woke up a little while ago, in the middle of the night, thanks to jet lag. I found myself reliving the many kisses I recently placed on the sweet face of Chloe, our beautiful, brand new grand daughter! She is thousands of miles away now and I can’t go visit her in the morning nor gently rub her soft, fresh cheek . . . But I can savor the experience in my mind, smile, and thank the Lord for the gift of memory.

This verse is part of David’s happy song of praise to God when the Ark was placed in the Tabernacle. It was a personal habit of his to go over and over the wonderful works of his Master, to stop and revel in the truth of divine mercy, and he encourages us to do the same. There is something quite spiritually healthy about it, and it is especially useful in those duller moments of life when we are tempted to despondency or self pity.

Can you remember the moment you put your faith in the Lord Jesus? Pause for a second, and think about it. How about the day you led a soul to Christ? Can you remember a specific moment of divine protection, when you should have been severely injured or died? Can you recall a special incident of financial need when the Lord touched another of His children to come along side of you to meet it? Can you think of a song, sung by a choir or congregation, that sent your soul soaring into the heavenlies? What about the memory of the first time you met your spouse, or gazed at a majestic mountain peak, or held a newborn?

Each of these are treasures God allows to stay in our memory bank. They can be powerful tools of encouragement when put to proper use. Throughout the Scriptures the Lord tells us to pull out these spiritual weapons during key moments of life. We find His people benefitting from this practice as they faced major battles, dark moments of disappointment, or times of confusion.

God has placed eternity in our hearts and part of what that includes is the capacity to remember His marvelous works and bask in the assurance of His grace.

Dear Father, thank You for such a special gift. Help me to recall often those kind gestures You so generously sow along my path. And Lord, thank You for remembering me, every day of my life, even when I have forgotten you. Amen.

Prayer & Dates: May 2015

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for May. 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: May 2015

Upcoming Dates To Know

May 25
The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day

June 15-18
Family Fellowship Week in Greensboro, NC

June 30
Adjusted payday for those who normally receive support on the 29th

July 3
The Office will be closed in celebration of Independence Day

 

Family Fellowship Week

Family Week is fast approaching! This year’s meeting will start with a casual family style picnic at the Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden, NC. Guests are welcome to come in their (modest) travel attire. There will be an abbreviated service, after which everyone is welcome to stay and fellowship or retire to their lodging for a relaxed evening to begin the week. Registration will be held at the Holiday Inn Express following the Monday night service. Those not staying at the hotel will register first thing Tuesday morning, before sessions begin. More details will be provided via email as the event approaches. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

 

Receipt Reminders

When submitting receipts to go along with monthly financial reports, please keep the following items in mind. This greatly helps our staff in processing your reports.

  • Please be sure the receipt is labeled to match what is recorded on the receipt log.
  • When copying or scanning receipts, please do not submit receipts for several months on the same page, as this makes it difficult to match receipts to the correct report.
  • We recommend using a scanner to email receipts, rather than sending them through the mail. You could also take pictures of a receipt, if a scanner is not available.
  • When scanning and emailing a receipt, please ensure that the size and resolution are large enough to be clearly visible when printed.

Thank you for your help in these areas!

 

Amazon Shopping Donation

Did you know that it is possible to support the ministry of World Wide through your regular purchases from Amazon? Simply click here to begin your shopping experience at smile.amazon.com, and then link your account for Amazon to make donations to World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions Inc. Amazon will then donate a portion of their proceeds to the Office.

 

Computer software info

As a non-profit agency, WWNTBM is often able to obtain discounts on certain computer programs for both the Mac and PC. The greatest discounts are available for Microsoft and Adobe products, but discounts are sometimes available for other software as well. Email Anna for further information.

 

Visitors at the Office

We love having people stop by the Office! In the last month, we’ve had visits from several of our missionaries, as well as some larger groups. If you are ever in the area please come by and see us. Here are pictures of some of our recent guests:

MBC Group
Mike & Boone West with a group of senior citizens from Memorial Baptist Church

EBC Teens
Teens from Emmanuel Baptist Church painting at one of our staff homes

Bibey
Richard Bibey hard at work

From Our President: May 2015

Danny Whetstone“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:15 -16

It seems that I am in more conversations over law and grace than ever before. On the one hand are those that hold a firm hand on the law. On the other hand are those that believe that grace covers all as long as you are not convicted by a particular sin. It appears that Paul is saying that we are not any longer under the law, but that grace is no license for the believer to live in sin. Christ fulfilled the law, but He did not abolish godly living. Titus 2:11-12, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

It does not matter how we feel about a particular sin if God is against it. If you are not convicted about eating meat offered to idols, eat it; but if so doing in the presence of your brother in Christ is an offense to him, then why be an offense to him? However, if you think that you can drink alcohol, commit adultery, lie and steal simply because you “feel” no conviction, you are sadly mistaken. God has spoken concerning these things, and it does not matter how we “feel” if God is against it. There are a great many verses to address these issues, but I am writing today to people who should be well aware of them.

Years ago I was acquainted with a lady who was not in our camp. She invited me to a meeting where a woman was preaching. I asked her how she got around Paul’s admonition that the woman was not to teach men? She said, “That is Pauline doctrine.” I asked what doctrine she looked to for living. She said, “Oh, we practice self doctrine.” In other words, every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Sorry, we have been bought with a price and we are not our own anymore.

Paul challenged Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 to be a good athlete. He told him that he would have to “strive lawfully.” Even in the New Testament era there are rules to keep. There is so little difference in the church and the world anymore. I love you guys dearly, but if you decide to follow Demas back to the world please have enough character to resign from World Wide New Testament Baptist Mission.

What do we have to offer the world if we are just like them? Paul could not have used a stronger term when addressing this issue of sinning under grace. He said, “God forbid.”

I pray that God will use you in a wonderful way to display the gospel this month in your teaching, preaching and living. I look forward to seeing several of you in Greensboro, NC, next month. We will have a wonderful time.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone