Category: From Our President

I pray that you have had a prosperous 2017. This has been a very busy year for us and for that we are grateful to the Lord and His people. This is an appropriate time to reflect on just how good the Lord has been to us, our family, and our ministry. Surely we do that on a regular basis anyway, but there is just something about another year passing that gives us pause to look back while planning ahead. As you consider 2017 did it turn out as you had planned? If it did not, what could you do to make things better in 2018? Give some time to consider your prayer time, Bible study, witnessing, and family time. Even if the past year was all that we wanted it to be, it should only be a step forward to help us grow in the year before us.

Sometimes failure will motivate us to press on to be victorious. Don’t permit discouragement to stop you, but rather commit yourself from this day forward to strive with more conviction to give God your best. Also, success can, at times, make us so satisfied that our dreams for the future are diminished. It could very easily cause us to rest in the past instead of pressing ahead expecting greater things from the Lord. Success could also cause us to think we have reached the apex of God working in and through us without considering that He can reach beyond anything that we can ask or think. May we press on for God’s glory and the good of those we minister to.

It is my sincere prayer that you will have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Enjoy some special time with your family during the holiday season. This time of year would be no more special for us than any other month, but this is the time that we set aside to thank the Father for sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins. He can easily be buried under an avalanche of activity if we are not careful and mindful of the significance of these very special days.

May your ministry in 2018 be as fresh and wonderful for you as it was when you first dreamed of following the Lord into it. The days ahead of you were unknown, but with fear and excitement, you pressed forward. You certainly understand more now than you did then. Ask the Lord to give width and depth to your vision for the future and dream beyond what you can see.

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.

Brother O’Malley and I spend much of our time encouraging church members to give tithes and offerings to the Lord. We emphasize Faith Promise missions in particular. An offering cannot be given to the Lord until the tithe is first given. Malachi chapter three promises that God will open the windows of heaven and bless if we are faithful to give tithes and offerings to the Lord.

I intentionally attempt to never let a day pass without thinking of the hundreds of hard-working people that make my ministry possible. Sometimes I wonder what they would purchase for themselves if they had that money in their bank account. With the exception of my first few years of marriage the Lord’s people have financed my family. The funds that they give me are actually their gift to God.

Your faithfulness to Christ is so commendable that words fail me to express my admiration for you and your ministry. However, I feel the same about those that “stay by the stuff” so that we can press forward with the light of the Gospel of Christ. It is easier for me to be reminded of this multitude of amazing church members because I am with them much of the time. Electricians, nurses, attorneys, mechanics, housewives, doctors and many more support our work. A few can certainly afford what they give, but the vast majority give up something to give willingly to the Lord. In turn, that wonderful gift is passed on to us for the support of our families and ministries.

I want to challenge us to think about them often. Pray that indeed the windows of heaven will be open to them that they might be blessed abundantly for their love for the Lord and His servants.

One question before I go. Do you give tithes and offerings to the Lord? It would be so wrong for us to live and serve on the gifts of others and then be unfaithful in our own giving to the Lord. I’m not referring to paying school bills or ministry expenses. I mean do you tithe and support missions with your money through a local church? God bless you if you do and shame on you if you don’t. You see, the servants of the Lord can rob God also. May it never be said of us.

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.

We hear so many various views about happenings around the world and, especially it seems, in the United States. My guess is that we will have to have more discipline in the future than ever before to keep our minds on the most important thing in our lives. God has given us a specific call to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We will always have an opinion about what is happening in our world, but that opinion must never keep us from doing our best in the Lord’s work. When the Lord met with His followers just before His return to heaven He gave them a reminder of their task. They were challenged once again to take the way of salvation to the world. The angels appeared to them with the question, “Why stand ye gazing?” It seems their message was that the disciples knew what to do, now they were to go and do it.

I am not attempting to say that we should not be concerned by what is going on in the world today. But I am saying that our primary interest while we are in this world should be to fulfill our responsibility to carry out the Great Commission at every given opportunity. Many things are going on that could very easily anger and frustrate those of us that hold to Bible truth; however, anger and frustration will not advance the Gospel to anyone. Let’s guard our minds and our tongues as we face the ever-increasing changes with which we are confronted. More often than not arguments drive us to extreme positions.

Go back to God’s call in your life. Ponder the days after He initially unfolded His purpose in your life. Remember how exciting it was to imagine that hundreds of faithful Christians would support your family so that you could carry out that dream. If you find yourself off track, get back on track. If you find that you are still on track, determine that you will fix your heart and mind on completing the path that the Lord has set before you.

We are blessed indeed to have the opportunity to spend our earthly existence sharing the Word of God with a world that seems to be “fainting and scattered abroad.” Find those who are searching for an answer and give that answer to them. Give every effort to avoid getting tangled up in the affairs of this world.

May God bless you, your family, and your ministry as you serve Him faithfully.

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.

We are in conversations constantly with others as we travel from church to church. Often the names of missionaries with World Wide will be mentioned in the conversation. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to speak with confidence about you and your ministry. Whether you are on deputation or the field, let’s do our best to maintain a good testimony for our Lord and for each other.

One of our board members, Pastor Fred Daniel, was on his way overseas just short time ago. There were problems with the aircraft so they were delayed for two and half hours. You can imagine the commotion going on among the passengers. They would be late getting to their destination, or even worse, would miss connections to get them to their final destination. Pastor Daniel was patient and kind for the duration. When they were permitted to reboard Pastor and Mrs. Daniel were directed to seats in first class for the transatlantic flight.

Kindness is not always rewarded immediately, but rest assured it will be. It does not matter if we are dealing with pastors, business owners, or officials of government, it is always best to respond in a Christ-like way.

The Lord has favored World Wide by bringing you our way. We are happy to report that the Lord is continuing to bring others to us on a regular basis. It has been my joy recently to sit in on a few missionary interviews, and I continue to be blessed by the knowledge and zeal of young families making their way to the place of God’s choosing for them. It is also encouraging week after week to see churches increasing their faith concerning giving.

It is my sincere desire that Christ will bless you in the coming days with His presence and obvious power. Let’s hold each other up in prayer as we seek to serve Him in our respective ministries.

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.

After the resurrection of our Lord He spent some time with His disciples in John 21. They had been fishing all night and had not caught any fish. From the shore came a voice that the fishermen did not immediately recognize. Over the course of the conversation the Lord would ask three questions.

Question one: Have you any meat? Certainly the inquiry was concerning fish, but it puts me in mind of the Lord and His disciples at Jacob’s well when He was witnessing to the woman that came out to draw water. The disciples told Him that lunch was ready. He replied, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” He was not speaking of the food made ready for physical survival. The Lord made it clear that His meat was to do the will of the Father. They had returned to fishing when they should have continued in the Father’s purpose for them.

Question two: Lovest thou me? We can be very busy in religious service without expressing our love for Christ. Remember that the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2) was doing everything right, but they had left their first love. The church was challenged to remember how they started out in the love of Christ. They were to repent of this sin, and if they did not He would remove their candlestick and not walk in their presence anymore.

Question three: What is that to thee? Peter was now curious what would happen in John’s life and ministry. The Lord told Peter to follow Him without concerning himself with fellow servants. Jesus said, “Follow thou Me.” When we are distracted by the works of others it is easy to lose sight of the One that we should be following. Look to Christ for the next step to take. There was a time when it seemed that I could do two or three things and drive at the same time. Now I can simply adjust my sitting position and have to correct my steering to stay out of the ditch. Our eyes must be fixed on the Lord.

To stay in line with the Lord’s purpose requires that we concentrate on Christ and His will. The fish that the disciples were looking for were under the boat, and they were there just as the disciples were going to give up. The answer you need is on the way. Patiently keep your eyes on the Lord. Many of the Lord’s people stand behind you in prayer and financial support while fighting of the attacks of Satan on their lives everyday. God bless you and your faithfulness to Him.

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.

We were in Ocala, Florida, in June for the World Wide Family Fellowship Week. We are so grateful to Pastor Mike West and the Memorial Baptist Church for going all out to make it a wonderful time of fellowship with the missions family. Not enough could possibly be said about the hard work that the church did to provide a comfortable place and amazing meals every day.

Brother O’Malley and the office staff also did a great job planning and directing the meeting. The week is a good opportunity for the office staff and the missionaries to get to know each other better. We understand that when you are on deputation or furlough it is inconvenient to take those days out of your busy schedule, but thank you for making the effort to gather with us the third Monday of June each year.

Every session during the day was a blessing. Each speaker added another layer to the previous speaker. It was so refreshing and challenging to be in each service. Each of us was afforded the opportunity to visit with friends that we rarely see. Pastor Wingard was able to attend the entire conference. We are so grateful for his continued leadership in the mission and pray that the Lord will bless him abundantly in the years to come.

Family Week will be with Pastor Goodman and the Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina in 2018. I already look forward to seeing many of you there. If you plan to be home on furlough, please set aside the time to attend the meeting.

I want to thank everyone associated with World Wide for your faithfulness to the Lord, and to the work He has called you to do. We have a great work in our hands. Multitudes of souls are still waiting to hear the Gospel of our Lord, and we must be diligent to deliver that all-important message to them.

May the Lord bless you continually.

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.

In Galatians Paul sets before us the contrast of the man that walks after the flesh and the man that is controlled by the Spirit. In Galatians 5:17, he says that the flesh and the Spirit are in a vicious battle against each other. We know this to be true in daily life. It seems that sometimes life is so easy, and then, right out of nowhere, the battle rages as though there was never a moment of peace.

Read his description of walking in the flesh in verses 19-21. How does the world, the flesh, and the devil make this look so good as we are moving through life? We know that this is a path of destruction, but it is so easy to yield to the temptation. Look at God’s declaration of sin in the last half of Romans 1. Could a picture be more deplorable? And yet men revel in it to the fullest.

On the other hand consider the beauty of a life led by the Spirit of God. In verses 22-26 we see the fruit that is produced when the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance are wonderful things to cultivate in our daily walk. It seems to be like a garden doesn’t it? The weeds (flesh) can flourish in almost any circumstance. However, the fruit of the Spirit requires constant diligence to make sure that we are yielded to the Lord.

Note this: “…against such there is no law.” Demonstrate God’s love all you want to. There is no law against it. Embrace joy all you want to. There is no law against it. The same could be said of each of the fruits of the Spirit. Absolutely no law against them. There are plenty of laws against the works of the flesh, but not one against the fruit of the Spirit.

Living in the Spirit requires walking in the Spirit. It isn’t enough to talk about how much control the Lord has in our lives. That control will of necessity show up in our daily walk. It will also manifest its presence to others. Oh, that we would cultivate a garden that would fill the world around us with the sweet fragrance of God!

I pray the Lord will bless you abundantly as you seek to serve Him this month. You are making the greatest investment known to man. You are investing yourself in the lives of others to the glory of God. He will bless!

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.

Next month is the annual Family Fellowship Week for World Wide. I always look forward to those very special days. We will be in Ocala, Florida, with Memorial Baptist Church and Pastor Mike West. If it is as it has been in the past, and I have every reason to believe it will be, we will have a wonderful time of fellowship around God’s Word.

Very often I ponder the past. Memories are more important to me than ever before. It was my privilege to become part of World Wide in June of 1976. The meeting that year was in South Carolina with Pastor Russell Bell. I appreciated the invitation to visit the conference that year but had no idea that the board would consider asking me to become part of the Executive Board. It was an honor then, but much more so today. Working with Pastor Wingard has been a dream come true for me. I am so grateful for his leadership through the years. God has been so merciful to us to give him health and longevity of life. I cannot imagine World Wide without Pastor Wingard at the helm. Pastor Wingard, Pastor Eborn, and Pastor Bell are the remaining original members of the Executive Board. We praise the Lord for the firm foundation and direction that these godly men have consistently provided for WWNTBM.

A number of men have been added to the board through the years. There could not possibly be a group of men anywhere that love working together more than these men do. In every detail of the mission you can see the impact that Pastor Wingard has had in getting us to the place that we are now.

When we get together each year I am blessed by every participant and moved by the memories of years gone by. The Lord truly blessed World Wide by sending us the O’Malley family more than twenty years ago. The ladies in the office continue to do a fantastic job. Miss Naomi has also put her fingerprints on so many parts of the mission through the years, and we are so grateful for her sacrificial service to the Lord through this ministry.

Not everyone is required to be at the meeting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come. I will assure you that Pastor West and Memorial Baptist Church will roll out the red carpet for us. Those of you that cannot be there, please pray that the Lord will bless every aspect of the meeting.

May you enjoy the blessings of the Lord as you continue to serve Him faithfully.

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.

Could it be that we oftentimes do not act like Christ because we do not think like Christ? Paul speaks of three kinds of men in I Corinthians 2 and 3.

First, he talks about the natural man. In I Corinthians 2:14, he says, “…the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Not only does the world not accept Biblical truth, but Biblical truth is foolish to them. There is no reason for us to be confused by the natural man’s refusal to accept our message if we understand that they operate from the opinion that anything they hear from us will be foolishness. Obviously, these are unsaved people that need to be saved by the grace of God.

Then, in I Corinthians 3:1, Paul speaks of the carnal man. He calls them “brethren” in verse one, indicating that Paul thought they were probably saved. He made it clear that it was his desire to feed them with meat, but because of their carnality he continued to give them milk. In this particular case, he speaks to them as carnal because they decided the direction of the church instead of good men. They would choose their favorite leaders based on their approval of the way they carried out their ministries rather than truth they espoused. Paul said that glory was reserved for the Lord, because He was the One that gave the increase.

Finally, in I Corinthians 2:15-16 he speaks of the spiritual man. Paul said that the spiritual man has the mind of Christ. He wrote to the believers in Ephesus and challenged them to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). He follows that challenge with a description of the Spirit-controlled believer. Paul said that believer would have a song, he would have a heart of thanksgiving, and he would be submissive. When the believer allows the Spirit to control him, he can indeed have the mind of Christ. Our lives will produce fruit that can be inspected and will give evidence of who is in control of our minds.

Let’s take time to examine ourselves right now. Are we living as though we have the mind of Christ? If we are not pleased with what we see, this would be a good time to permit the Holy Spirit to take complete control of our lives and the mind of Christ will follow.

May the Lord use you this month to reach the naturally-minded man with the gospel. May He use you to reclaim the believer that is carnally minded. May the Lord help us to be spiritually minded, and to encourage all that are of the same mind.

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.

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I understand that we, as a missions family, are scattered all over the world. At any given time we have families that are enjoying great victories, while at the same moment there are others that are in a great valley. Because we are believers we love each other. We rejoice with those that rejoice, and we weep with those that weep. Personally, it grieves me that I cannot be with each one of you in the victories and in the valleys.

Perhaps today, if we have not done so already, we could take a moment to place in our permanent schedule a time to remember each other in prayer. Take time to praise the Lord for victories that have been enjoyed around the world and also to pray for those that are in the battle of their lives. As I write this letter Brother Jackie Elwart is sitting by the bedside of his wife. Unless the Lord intervenes today she will be in heaven before you receive this letter. Ruth Ann Arthurs will receive a pacemaker today as well. I just received word that Pastor Don Mallory, a former World Wide missionary, is in the hospital with life-threatening issues.

On the other hand, we were in a very small church last Sunday that committed themselves to give $120,000 for faith promise in 2017. We are hearing stories with some regularity of people trusting in Christ. Young families are surrendering to serve the Lord with whatever life the Lord blesses them with.

Maybe emotions should be set aside, but I am completely helpless to do that. We are affected by both good news, and by—what seems to us—to be bad news. There are two things we can surely do: we can love and we can pray. Both must be done on purpose. If it is not a conscientious effort we will get so involved in our own little world that nothing else will matter.

I want you to be assured today that if you are rejoicing we want to rejoice with you, and if you are weeping we want to weep with you as well. Our Lord will never leave you. Our Lord will never forsake you. You can lean on him with all the weight of your life with full assurance of His ability to hold you. God is with you, and many Christian brothers and sisters are with you as well.

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.