From the Memo Board: September 2015

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The Office will be closed on Monday, September 7, in celebration of Labor Day.

New Missionaries

IMG_1299Markie and Christy Bullock have been appointed as associate missionaries with World Wide, pending their interview.   Bro. Bullock grew up on the mission field in Mexico.  After his graduation from West Coast Baptist College in 2005, they returned to Mexico, where they served as missionaries until the Lord called them to accept an associate pastorate at the McKee Road Baptist Church in Bakersfield, CA.  They now believe it is the Lord’s will for them to serve in Spain.  They are being sent out of the Pine Bluff Baptist Church of Albany, GA, with Pastor Keith Smith.  The Bullocks have two sons, Nick (7) and Sam (5).

Nick Stelzig Family PhotoNick and Lindsey Stelzig are the newest additions to the World Wide family.  They are both recent graduates of Ambassador Baptist College.  While at Ambassador, they were active in inner-city ministries in Charlotte, NC.  Their desire is to plant inner-city churches in the Boston, MA area.  They are sent out of the Maranatha Baptist Church in Yorktown, VA, with Pastor Dale Coffey.  The Stelzigs have one son, Gabriel, who is 6 months old.

Office Staff Transitions

April Howell resigned last month. April served with World Wide in areas of prayer letters, graphics design, and web layout since 2011.

Bekah Cmaylo and Laura Dillon will be sharing April’s previous responsibilities regarding prayer letters. Please be sure to use the email address [email protected] to submit all correspondence related to your prayer letters or address changes.

April has offered to continue doing graphics work on a freelance basis for our missionaries. If you are interested in this you may contact her directly at [email protected].

We would also recommend Andrew Minion for any of your graphics and web design needs. He may be reached at [email protected].

Prophet Room Available in Tennessee

Tennessee Ridge Baptist Church in Tennessee Ridge, TN, has a guest room available for those traveling in that area.  Contact Pastor Dennis Kirk at 865-360-4240 for information and reservations.

Fund-Raising Projects

From time to time you may have a need to raise funds for a special purchase.  Often our 1317230_29811116missionaries 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 our Office in advance, as the Executive Board must vote on any special projects for which funds are received in our Office.

From Our President: September 2015

Danny Whetstone

“For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil;
because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
Jeremiah 20:8-9

When you read of Israel’s prophets, don’t you ever wonder how they continued on? Before Isaiah ever even started his ministry, he knew that no one would listen to him. He asked he Lord, ”How long?” He was told to proclaim the message until there was no one to tell. Joseph did not have a formula to calculate how long he would be in prison before being released and eventually becoming second in command. Daniel was prepared for the lions’ den to bring his earthly journey to an abrupt end. His three Hebrew friends thought the fiery furnace would be their conclusion as well, but they refused to bow. Esther was of the opinion that she was there for that particular time, and whatever the outcome she would carry through with her task.

Now we find Jeremiah in an awful situation. He had done nothing but deliver the Word as it was given him by God. His only desire was to save Israel from certain destruction. Instead of Israel turning from their sin to God, they turned against His messenger. Jeremiah had had enough. If this was his reward for being true, he would simply remain silent. However, like all of the others mentioned earlier, he could not—God’s Word was in his heart. It wasn’t just written so that he could read it every day. It was not simply memorized so that he could rehearse it each day. No, it was in his heart! It was a part of his very being. He could no more walk away from it than he could rip his heart from his chest and walk away. He would die if he could not deliver God’s message to God’s people. Jeremiah and so many others would have quit, but they knew that there was a divine purpose for them. They would fulfill that purpose or die trying.

You can almost see it in a pastor, missionary, or evangelist. If there is a mandate from God, you cannot stop them. But if that burning is not in their heart and bones, you just know that somewhere along the road of service they will give up and go back. If the call of God is real, you cannot stop them. You might sit by the wayside and observe these God-called servants and wonder why they don’t just quit. They can’t help it. The thought might cross their minds from time to time as it did for Jeremiah, but it is not in them to stop short of God’s calling.

I know many of you have faced unbelievable hardships. I am only one servant observing another, but I want you to know that your testimony helps me stay in the fight. Oh, we must lift each other up in fervent prayer! Please take time to pray for the World Wide family—today.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone

Prayer & Dates: September 2015

September Prayer/Praises and Special Dates

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for September. 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: Good Soldier; Bad Man

Andy Bonikowsky“And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief . . . Do thou therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. (1 Chr 11:6/1 Kings 2:6)

These two statements of David were separated by forty years. The first paved the way for Joab to become his general commander. The second was spoken to Solomon, advising him to kill Joab.

What in the world had happened? Why was David now encouraging his son to get rid of the man who had successfully led his armies for so many years?

There are, perhaps, a number of reasons, but I think these two are key. First, and concerning Solomon himself, David was obviously trying to save him a ton of grief. He knew that if Joab stayed on the scene, Solomon would suffer hugely. The man was dangerous and bad.

But how had it come to this? How had David chosen such a man?

Part of the answer surely lies in a very early decision of David, just as he was setting up his  government. He had done many good things, but here he made a serious leadership mistake. Every leader has blind spots and David was no exception. I think he blew it in his method of delegating responsibilities and authority.

The setting was Jerusalem, before it was ever the City of David. The Jebusite inhabitants had taunted David, saying that even their blind and lame men could ward off his attack. Perhaps distracted by the sting of pride, the young king hurled a challenge to his men: “Whoever is the first to take him will be my chief and captain!” Joab, his very own cousin, did just that. He gathered a group of fighters and proved himself one of the best warriors in the land. So began one of David’s nightmares.

He had found a great fighter but a vicious man. Joab had a strong personal agenda and would ruthlessly and deceitfully assassinate anyone who got in his way. First to fall was Abner, stabbed in the stomach when he expected a peaceful conversation. Then came Absalom, David’s own son, butchered as he hung from the tree by his hair, against the wishes of the emotionally distraught king. Finally it was Amasa, also reconciled to David, whom Joab gutted after tricking him with a fallen dagger.

No wonder dying David wanted him out of Solomon’s life.

How sad that David did not remember the words God had spoken through Samuel when he himself was selected for the position of king: “the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

When seeking leaders, he had focused on the outside skill, not the heart inside.

It is even sadder when we don’t learn the lesson. How often churches have split and pain has flooded a congregation because someone was chosen for leadership simply because they had talent. They could sing, they could speak, they could write . . . but they were not good.

Faithfulness is more important in ministry than talent. The problem is, faithfulness, by definition, requires a certain amount of time to be proven. And we are often in too much of a hurry.

Dear Father, help me realize that you do not need my talent unless it comes with a faithful heart. And as I deal with others and serve your flock, give me discernment to know who is loyal and true to you. Amen.

Featured Article: Good Eyes and Ears

Andy Bonikowsky“Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.” (Ezekiel 12:2)

There was actually nothing wrong with their eyes or ears. Like us, the Israelites were created to spiritually see and hear God. Their problem lay in the deepest part of their being–their hearts.

It is amazing how much we can see and hear from God when we really want to. A simple Bible message from a novice preacher can flood our souls with joy. However, too often we come to the Lord and His Word with hidden reservations. Essentially, we are not totally honest. We know His blessing rests in obeying His Word and we want it. But we hope that we can acquire blessing, at least to some degree, without a complete and unreserved surrender. That very intention is rebellion and renders us blind and deaf to His gifts. We cannot see, hear, or value His goodness.

God made us with the unique ability to perceive Him. For one thing, and unlike animals, our minds can comprehend the concept of time, which opens before us the vast horizon of past and future. From this wider balcony of time, we can in a limited way catch a glimpse of eternity. If we could not calculate in terms of minutes and years, the eternality of God would not make even a lick of sense to us.

Our eyes let us see what He has made and reach conclusions. Our ears hear the Word and allow us to understand even more than what our eyes reveal. But if these two witnesses shout their evidence at a heart that is proud and disobedient they are wasting their breath. A rebellious soul will look at nature and force evolution into it. The same rebel will listen to the Gospel and cry, “Foolishness!” While modern man thinks he is an intelligent observer and listener, he is actually blind and deaf.

Have I ever found it hard to discern the truth in God’s Word? Has my soul remained cool while others shined with zeal for God? Did I blame it on the speaker for not making his sermons more attractive? The problem probably had nothing to do with my eyes or ears, but with the dullness of my heart. When the heart is glazed over with stubbornness, truth will rarely be able to shine in through the two windows of sight and hearing.

Dear Father, rid my heart of every rebellious strain so that my eyes and ears can show me what I am uniquely qualified to see.

Prayer & Dates: August 2015

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

Intern

Kaitlyn HayeWe are enjoying having Kaitlyn Haye as an intern in the Office this summer! Kaitlyn grew up in a ministry family. She is a student at Ambassador Baptist College, where she is majoring in Church Ministries. She and her husband, Drew, were married in May of this year. They are members of the Crossroads Baptist Church of Columbus, NC, with Pastor Nathan Deatrick. Upon completion of her schooling in December, they plan to pursue a ministry in evangelism.

 

New Missionaries

The JenneysStephen and Charity Jenney have joined the World Wide family. The Jenneys are sent out of Shalom Baptist Church in North Tonawanda, NY. Charity’s father, Roland Mills, is their pastor. The Jenneys are both graduates of Ambassador Baptist College. Their plans are to begin deputation to plant churches in Arizona. Their son Judson is one, and they are expecting another baby early next year. Please be in prayer for them as they begin this new ministry.
 

Missionary Housing Available in PA

Nathan Fry’s parents, Jim & Pat Fry, have a house in central Pennsylvania. They would like to make it available to missionaries on a first come basis, for the reasonable cost of $250 per month to help cover the utilities. For more information, you may contact the Frys at 717-808-7922.

 

New Baby!

Baby JohnJohn & SarahCongratulations to John and Sarah on the birth of their first child, John Gabriel, on July 28.  He was 20 inches long and weighed 7 pounds 6.3 ounces.  Everyone is doing well!  Keep them in prayer as they are finishing deputation and preparing to leave for the field soon.

From Our President: August 2015

Danny WhetstoneIn reading again God’s instructions to Moses on the building of the tabernacle, I was taken with the amazing details. Nothing was left for anyone to decide concerning the construction of this house of sacrifice. The materials, the colors, and the furniture, as well as its placement, was given. How the priests would carry out their duties, and even explicit instructions concerning how they would dress in fulfilling those duties, was detailed.

Many hands would be called upon to build the tabernacle according to this master plan given by the Master. The willingness of the people to build and give to make this work a reality should be a great encouragement to us all. As a matter of fact, they were so willing that Moses had to restrain them.

Once everything was completed, the tabernacle was raised for the first time. It must have been a blessed day for the servants of God. The combination of materials and colors could have only been imagined by those observing its construction, but now every detail could be seen. There was only one thing to be added – the presence of God. The glory of His presence could be seen by all. The wonder of this major accomplishment by the hands of the people of Israel was certainly noteworthy, but it meant nothing without the glory of God.

Now we are the temple of God. We are given instructions in equal detail concerning our life for Christ. Much attention is given to what others can see, but all is vain without the glory of God. No doubt the physical appearance that others observe is important, and no doubt intellectual preparation is good. However, these things are simple window dressings if the presence and power of God are lacking. Everything about the building of the tabernacle was in the hands of the people, and then God came! We on the other hand need the presence of God to have the ability to shape the temple as He desires. He is the power, and we are the vessel. As we yield our members to Him, righteousness is the result. This is not self-produced righteousness. It is Christ-imputed righteousness, and it is absolutely necessary if we are to do the work He has given us to do.

The world we live in is changing everyday, but we serve a Savior who is unchanging. Not only is He able to empower us for each task before us, but He is also willing. Are we prepared for Him to accomplish His perfect work through us?