WWNTBM
May 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 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.
Tithing! Yes, tithing. Surely there would not be a missionary who has surrendered his life to serve the Lord who would be unfaithful in giving at least a tithe to the Lord. Hopefully that was settled in your heart a long time ago, but are you teaching tithes and offerings to those that you minister to every day?
My travels have taken me to sixty-five countries. I have visited several different mission works in some of those countries, and have traveled to some of those countries many times. It is not obvious to me that tithes and offerings are taught in many of those places. Make no mistake about it, every born again believer can tithe. Sometimes it is easier to depend on funds from the outside. I am no more against fundraising in the United States for a work in another part of the world than I am against Macedonia sending funds to help in Jerusalem. However, this is not to be at the exclusion of the local people giving for the Lord’s work.
Tithes and offerings are biblical means by which every believer should both support the local ministry and help evangelize the rest of the world. It would be impossible to teach the Bible without getting around to giving.
I have witnessed some of the poorest people in the world support the local work by tithes and offerings. Those same churches have reached beyond themselves to start churches in other places. It is all done without any outside assistance. Again, nothing prohibits help from other sources, but that should come after the church understands that it is obligated to get involved in giving. The promise of blessings to those that do not rob God is worldwide and knows no boundaries because of income.
We are blessed to live on offerings that others have given to the Lord. I never want to forget that people are going to jobs every day, and often they don’t even like the work they are going to do. Then they will give tithes and offerings to the Lord. They give money that they could use in many different ways, but they will not. How ungrateful we would be if we did less then give and teach others to do the same.
The people of Israel had been slaves for hundreds of years serving the Egyptians. God delivered them from their bondage. While in the wilderness, when no jobs were to be had by these recently released slaves, God put them into a building program. He required the best of materials. Israel rose to the occasion in such a way that Moses had to restrain their giving. The success of the offering had more to do with their heart attitude than it did with their possessions. Don’t rob the Lord’s people by expecting less from them than the Lord does.
May the Lord bless you, your family, and your ministry with His divine presence.
In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone
If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. Whetstone here to let him know.
May 27 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day
June 1 – April financial reports will be due
June 7 – The Office will be closed for a staff outing
June 17 – 20 – Family Fellowship Week in Edinburg, VA
July 1 – May financial reports will be due
This year’s Family Week will be hosted by Pastor Chad Estep and the Valley Baptist Church in Edinburg, VA. Family Week will begin with registration at 4:30 p.m. on Monday evening, followed by a relaxed meal in the outdoor pavilion of the church. Come in your modest travel clothes and enjoy the church’s activity fields and facilities! A relaxed evening service will immediately follow. We ask that missionaries plan to attend all services of the week, starting with Monday evening and ending Thursday evening. Missionaries will be housed at the Holiday Inn Express in Woodstock, VA, which is approximately 10 minutes from the church. Please watch your email for more details as the week approaches.
Holly Minion is no stranger to our World Wide family. She served on our Office Staff from 2010 to 2015. Since that time, she and her husband Andrew have managed our websites and social media. Holly is once again helping us with our prayer letter processing. If you utilize World Wide to publish your letters, please continue to use the email address [email protected] to ensure that Holly and Rebekah Tolley can process your requests quickly and efficiently.
World Wide has a page for each of our missionaries on our website at wwntbm.com. We do our best to keep your information current, so supporters can stay up to date with your ministry. Please take a moment to review your information on our site, and contact Naomi Torberson if you need us to make any changes.
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
Aiden Jude Dundon was born on April 2nd. He weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 19.75 inches long. Aiden is the first child of Matthew and Colleen Dundon. The Dundons are on deputation to plant a deaf church in Philadelphia.
Kezia Florence Deatrick was born on April 2nd. She weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. Kezia is the first daughter of Michael and Nora Deatrick and joins her older brother, Corban, who is two. The Deatricks are missionaries in the Solomon Islands.
Hudson Taylor was born on April 3rd. He weighed 10 pounds 4 ounces. He is the first son of Kevin and Hannah Taylor. He joins three sisters: Tirza (7), Hadassah (5), and Alethia (3). The Taylors are on deputation to go to Mexico.
Several in our missions family are graduating this spring. Please be in prayer for them as they make transitions in their lives and seek the Lord’s will concerning future plans. Click here to see the list of graduates.
The following recordings were recently published on Uplift.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. These recordings for our missions family contain the Uplift calls in their entirety, including prayer requests and challenges to our missionaries. We hope they will encourage your heart.
Contacting Churches by Stephen Ashmore
God Can Handle Our Adversaries by Chad Estep
Be A Servant by Jeremy Lockhart
Three Truths from John 20 by David Fulp
Trusting God in Trouble by Fred Daniel, Jr.
Make a Difference Where You Are by Jeremy Lockhart
Don’t Try to Do This Alone by Danny Whetstone
Three Principles for Overcoming Temptation by Joel Dickens
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:20
Our text gives us a promise from the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Many of His soldiers have had to reclaim this promise on the mission field or in a difficult place of service. In times of hardship or opposition, the old man can descend into doubt and wonder, “Where is Jesus?” Whether we acknowledge it or not, Jesus’ promises never fail. Sometimes we fail to recognize the promised eternal presence of our Savior.
What is the most common reason? Probably denying His identity. John 1:11 states that even His own people “knew Him not.” Even when they were in His presence, His person and purpose were not acknowledged. Thus, these people did not enjoy the full blessing of being in the presence of the Son of God. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus even states He would have gathered His people to Himself as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. But they refused. This mentality robs a person of the blessing of Jesus Christ’s presence even when He is present and seeking to reach them.
At times, even believers and faithful laborers fail to recognize His presence. Circumstances, fear of danger, or lack of faith can blind us from recognizing His presence. Mark 6 tells the story of Jesus’ disciples out on the sea at night when a storm arose. The wind blew “contrary” to the effort of travel to the other side of the sea. They no doubt became heavily occupied in rowing and trying to accomplish their assignment. They knew Jesus remained behind on the shore and not in the boat with them. In the challenge of the task before them, they forgot Jesus’ power. He just fed more than five thousand people with the lunch of a lad. So, either Jesus was not on their mind, or they thought that Jesus was too far away to help. The Scripture states that though Jesus was on the shore “He saw them toiling” (Mark 6:48). Jesus does not assign a task and then leave the laborer alone. He comes to them even if He must walk on water. It must have been a great comfort to them to hear Jesus speak and tell them, “Be of good cheer. It is I; be not afraid.” Whatever the task and wherever He calls us, Jesus sees us toiling. He comes to our side bringing cheer and peace. As He promised, He will be with us even to the end of the age. We serve the same Jesus Who walked on water.
Sometimes things do not go the way we plan, or we misunderstand God’s plan. We fail to understand how God’s plan differed from our understanding. In Luke 24, two men headed to a village called Emmaus. As they traveled, they discussed the recent events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. One expressed his misunderstanding of the mission of Jesus. He thought as many did that Jesus was come to “redeem Israel.” As they journeyed along, Jesus joined them. Their “eyes were holden (restrained) that they should not know Him.” These men did not know they walked in the very company of the resurrected Savior. They focused on the disappointment that their plan was not accomplished to “redeem Israel.” Jesus informed these men of their wrong expectations (vs. 25-26). He pointed them to the Word of God, which foretold the mission of Jesus. The Scriptures of the prophets spoke of the death and the glorification of Jesus Christ. Because they misunderstood the Scripture, they were with Jesus and did not know.
If we are serving Him, we need to know His plan. We will not be disappointed or come to the wrong conclusion about how things happen. We need reminding that He always carries out His plan. God announced His plan back in Genesis 3:15. What if Jesus was not present to inform these men? He is always where His people are laboring and serving to keep us on the right course. Oh, what a comforting fact to know Jesus will not only comfort and protect us, but He will lead us in the right plan.
If Bro. Hurst’s article is an encouragement to you, please email him to let him know. You may also visit ebarnabas.org to make an appointment with him for encouragement.