Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for July. 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.
Featured Article: Mountain Claiming
“Give me this mountain.” (Joshua 14:12)
Forty-five years before, Caleb had seen a mountain. He and eleven other men had spent forty days in a secret hike through what was then enemy territory. On the trek they had spied on the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites. But what most caught Caleb’s eyes was a mountain where the gigantic sons of Anak lived in fortified cities.
The leader of the reconnaissance party had been Caleb’s friend Joshua. Together they had felt the assurance of the Lord surge in their hearts as they quietly looked upon the doomed enemies. Their souls were alive with the optimism and certainty of a victory guaranteed by their almighty God.
I think Caleb mentioned his particular interest to his partner. Maybe the two of them clasped hands on the idea, prayed together, and praised the Lord for His goodness.
But to their dismay the attitude of their ten friends began to sour. Day after day the tone of conversation became more despondent. What had started out as an exciting adventure was turning into a terrifying nightmare. The overwhelming number of their opponents had chipped away the surface faith of the other men and exposed their unbelief.
All this had happened nearly a half a century before. Now, five years into the Promised Land conquest, Caleb once again set his eyes on the mountain he and Joshua had sighted. The promise God had made to the faithful young spy was alive and healthy in the now old fighter’s mind. Although he had had to wait for an entire generation of Israelites to die off, the Lord had preserved his strength and brought him to this moment. The time was ripe for the fulfillment of his dream.
So Caleb stepped forward to claim his mountain prize. It should not surprise us that Joshua had not forgotten it, nor had God.
It is never fun to watch youthful dreams fade into mist, but the Bible is full of examples of just that. Abraham waited decades for the promised son. Joseph spent years wondering how on earth the bowing sheaves and stars could possibly become a reality. For forty years the shepherd Moses silently grieved over a mission that appeared lost forever.
Using our own mistakes or those of others, God will often weave into our life’s work lengthy seasons of waiting. Do not give in to disheartening thoughts of weakness, age, or liabilities. Stay ready and expectant. And definitely don’t rush matters your own way. Abraham and Moses tried that and both regretted it deeply. When the time is right for us to claim the mountain God has promised us, the wisdom and strength will be there.
Dear Father, it is in me to always want answers right away. I feel like ignorance is necessarily bad, and that if I can’t understand everything around me, I am missing something I deserve. Teach me to relax and trust when dreams seem to fade into the distance. Knowing You is my highest priority and Your will, in Your good time, is all I want. Amen.
Prayer & Dates: June 2015
Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for June. 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: June 2015
Important Dates
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
The Alethia Project
During the 2005 Missions Conference, a group of students at Ambassador Baptist College felt a burden to carry the Word of God and Biblical materials in other languages via the Internet. In order to accomplish this task, The Aletheia Project set the following goals:
- Design websites that are culture-specific and user-friendly
- Provide Bible translations based on the Received and Masoretic Texts
- Supply Biblical materials to the language groups of the world
Their mission is to use the Internet to reach non-English speaking people with the Gospel and to help believers to grow in grace.
John O’Malley and Norman Johnston are founders and advisors to this project. We would encourage you to learn more and to get involved by going to their website at tapbibles.com. You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Graduates
Several in our missions family are graduating this spring. Please be in prayer for them as they seek the Lord’s will concerning future plans.
Al Bonikowsky received an Honorary Doctorate from Bob Jones University.
Kyle Boylston graduated from high school.
Jon Daniel received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brookhaven Baptist College.
Megan Daniel graduated from high school at Bethel Christian Academy in Kinston, NC.
Michael Deatrick received a Bachelor of Science in Missions degree from Ambassador Baptist College.
Rolando Ortiz received a Doctorate of Pastoral Ministry from Brookhaven Baptist College.
Hanna Zimmer graduated from high school.
Special Guests
The Kenney’s treated the staff to lunch while they were here.
Pepsi Lancaster has helped with several office tasks.
From Our President: June 2015
“But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen — the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people:for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.” (Ezra 3:12-13)
God had intervened in an amazing way to have the Jews released from their bondage so that they could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Fifty thousand people would make this one thousand mile journey on foot. Others would follow later. The first thing that they repaired was the altar. Not a bad idea for those attempting to have God’s blessings on what they are doing. Once the altar was complete they began collecting the materials to rebuild the temple. In a few months the foundation of the temple would be complete. Only the foundation! You will note in the verses above that the young men shouted, and the ancient men wept. Those standing by must have been confused by what they saw and heard. It was difficult to distinguish which was the loudest – the shout or the weeping.
I consider this with wonder and amazement. Here we have old men that could remember the glory of the first temple. They stood at the sight of the foundation and looked back at the glory they once enjoyed. The young men stood in the same spot looking at the same thing and looked ahead at what God might do in the future. When the ancient men looked forward they could not see very far. Their vision was limited by the distance they could see ahead. However, when they looked back they could see and remember many wonderful things. When the young men looked back they could not see very far, and had very little that they could remember.
I want to encourage the young men that see into the future and are challenged by the amazing prospects of what God might do through them. I once stood at their vantage point and felt my heart race with what might be. Please don’t misunderstand if I speak much of the past with a tear in my eye. I can see things back there that I miss today. At the same time I promise you that I will do nothing to diminish your shout about the hopes you have for tomorrow. Dream on brother, and press forward to see those visions come true. I will rejoice with you, because I know that my day will come for you also. The dreams that you have today will be your memories in the distant future. Make good memories by obeying God every moment of every day.