Category: From Our President

A few days ago, Darleen and I had the pleasure of visiting with Pastor and Mrs. Wingard. It was a blessed time. Sometime during our visit Pastor Wingard gave me an article to read on church planting. It was encouraging to read an article by someone that actually has something good to say about these days. There seems to be a resurgence of church planting in America. This is wonderful news indeed.

I have observed in recent years that our Lord is calling some dedicated servants into His work. We are closely associated with young families who are on deputation to raise support for worldwide ministries they are burdened for; however, that is only part of the story. God is also raising up some amazing young pastors for America, pastors who are deeply concerned about reaching people for Christ both home and abroad. These are men who see beyond their borders.

There is no doubt that we have lost many churches that at one time stood at the front lines of battle and did a great work for our Lord. It only seems to make sense that we need to reproduce good ministries in other places. There will always be churches closing and compromising, and it might be that a few of them can recover. More than likely the answer is to start new churches more rapidly than we lose them. This is not only applicable in America, but also in the entire world.

How marvelous would it be if a real revival of reaching people with the Gospel broke out in our churches today? I am not advocating numbers for the sake of numbers, but might I remind you that the book of Acts has a great deal to say about reaching one, two, three thousand, five thousand and multitudes. But it is not enough to simply reach them. They will need to be baptized and taught. This will require establishing a New Testament church, because baptism is a local church responsibility. It is one of only two ordinances committed to the church.

We have little to no idea exactly what the future holds. However, we know from church history that our God has done great things in difficult times. These are not days to hesitate. These are not days for fainting. We desperately need a generation of Christian soldiers that will rise to the occasion. Let’s go after sinners with the Gospel of Christ and see the ministry as a long term service for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Maybe you are in a dark and dismal place today. Perhaps you think that no one knows your needs or even cares that you have them. Let me assure you that the One who put you where you are does indeed know, and He cares. Prepare your heart for God to do an amazing work in and through your life.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Rarely do I watch a large volume of news anymore. This morning has been the exception, primarily because of the events of recent times in Paris, France. There are so many uncertainties in the world today. Perhaps it is not so new, but it seems that it is, at least in its intensity. What are you facing today that occupies your attention? Physical problems, spiritual problems, financial problems and international problems are on every hand. Oftentimes, it seems to be overwhelming. How much more for the Apostle Paul. He was thrown out of most of the towns that he preached in. However, that was the least of all the things that he faced. Now he takes time to ponder all that the Lord is preparing for us in the future. His conclusion was that these are “light afflictions” when compared to the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” that is in our future.

This is Paul’s advice to the believers in Philippi in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” A vacuum is rarely a good thing. The natural tendency will usually be to think on the temporal. It requires purpose of mind and heart to overcome the natural. We will think, but we can make choices about what we think on. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5). I wish that the doing of this was as easy as typing it in this note! This requires diligence on our part. We often rush through life hoping to outrun the thoughts that haunt us. We will never be fast enough to be successful in that race. Sometimes we must be still and purposely push out the thoughts that have invaded the vacuum with the things that are eternal.

Stop! Take a moment to ask yourself, “What am I constantly thinking about?” Would our Lord be better served if we replaced those thoughts with things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report? I suppose that some are so made that these come naturally, but most of us probably have to think this way on purpose. Life is generally not easy. It was not in Paul’s day, and it certainly is not in ours. The Lord wants us to be victorious. That victory will be initiated in our thoughts.

I am encouraged and blessed by your continued faithfulness. Let us, by the grace of God, live victoriously on purpose. It certainly will not happen otherwise.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone

Perhaps many of you read this post by Nikki Brown, but in case you missed it, I thought it worth using in Headquarter Happenings. Paul often shared his hardships. He never did so to get pity. He did it to encourage others. I believe Nikki’s post will do the same.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone

Shock
by Nikki Brown

Culture shock. The very words that haunt most any person that may be moving away from a familiar environment. Physical ailments, separation distress, or emotional outcries may all play a part in this cruel “shocking” attack.

I’ve been told that culture shock comes and goes in waves. Sometimes you feel as though you can finally call this new place “home.” You almost mentally breathe a sigh of relief and pat yourself on the back for conquering the challenge of living in a different place. Other times, (usually right after that sigh) it hits you like a 100,000 lb. elephant, and then that elephant finds comfort in sitting on top of you for as long as he possibly can. Yep, it’s that bad and seemingly almost impossible to get rid of.

Culture shock also has many different faces. There are times it takes no shame in rearing its ugly head and makes its obvious appearance. Language barriers, poor or no reliable medical care, corrupt government, weather, and critters are good examples of things that can trigger a feeling of culture shock. Unfortunately, on the other hand, it can also creep in slowly and not as blatantly, but effects you very deeply. Maybe a hurtful word from a national, a picture of a family get-together back home, or an upcoming holiday season would be good examples. Either way, it’s attack is very real.

The effects of culture shock can also vary from each occurrence. While you may be “laughing it off” at one point, during a bad case of culture shock, that same event may leave you incredibly angry, upset, or even sad. It’s hard to tell what you may actually feel, but usually it’s not something you’re willing to write home about.

How do you deal with it? When do you get to a point when culture shock doesn’t come around any more? Why doesn’t anyone seem to understand what you’re going through? Well, all I know is that the answer is God. God helps me to deal with each attack of culture shock. God lets me know that no matter how long it may last, He will give grace. God understands when everyone else doesn’t.

I’ve been told by missionaries who have been on the field more than 20 years that they STILL experience culture shock from time to time! Doesn’t that sound crazy? No. Not to me. Not to them. While they have been living overseas all that time and learning to adapt in that country (learned the language, working in that culture, making lifetime friendships in that same country), they still get that slap in the face every once in a while letting them know that they are from a different country.

So, I’d like to share with you just a few things I’ve done/am doing to help me cope with this unforeseen attack.

1. Reading God’s Word.
This is by far my greatest help! I find peace, comfort, encouragement, and help by reading the Bible. In college, God gave me a verse that I still quote most often to this day. Psalm 27:13 “I had fainted, UNLESS I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

2. Talking about it.
Now, this is not always an easy thing to admit to someone, but it is most important to have an accountability partner. For me, the Lord has blessed me in giving me a few very close friends, including my husband, my BFF (who also serves as a missionary on a foreign field), and a close friend that serves as a missionary in Cambodia. Each of these people provide a source of support that help me make sure I’m not checking out of the work here.

3. Reading encouraging letters.
Most of our letters come in the form of emails, text messages, or Facebook posts. Either way, I have a few that I often return to over and over again to remind myself that we do have faithful friends back home praying for us. Two weeks ago, we received 52 emails from a Sunday school class that had read our prayer letter that day! How encouraging is that? Just yesterday, I received the sweetest text from my daddy just saying I was on his mind and he was praying for me. God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. All of these things were a great help to me.

4. Singing songs (in English).
Tonight, after a long day—well, really a long week….ok, who am I kidding—it’s been one of those MONTHS….Matt and I sat down together at the piano and just sang some songs. The truths revealed in many great hymns are such a blessing! Music is a great gift from God that He has used many times in my life.

There are many other things I’m sure people can do to help them continue on in their fight.

Don’t worry, this post is not some cry for help or even a plea to go home. I REALLY DO love being here. I would not want to be anywhere else other than where God has us—and Cambodia is definitely the place God has us! We are more than blessed, too! God has made our lives so wonderful, and I believe it’s because we have just committed ourselves to serving Him. His grace is sufficient!

“Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” John 4:34

Our Lord had traveled to an area that was obviously dangerous for Him and His disciples. It appears that His followers did not think that it was a good idea to go, but since He was going they would go also. When they reached their destination the Lord sent them to town to purchase provisions for them. While they were taking care of mundane things—that were certainly necessary for their sustained well-being—the Lord remained by Jacob’s well. He had a divine appointment.

A woman came to get water, and He engaged her in conversation. It would not be long before she would recognize Him as the promised Messiah. She went to town to tell everyone about this One who she met at the well. Many followed her out to see for themselves what this man was like.

When the disciples made their way back with the much-needed food, they felt that He should join them for the meal. They had been traveling and were undoubtedly in need of the nourishment. However, Christ found something that was even more important. He said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me….” He did not fault them for doing that which was only natural, but what He was busy with was even more important. It was His desire to do the will of the Father, and “to finish His work.”

It does not matter how long we have been about the Lord’s work. We must “do” and “finish.” It might be deputation or field ministry that you are involved in presently. The idea of getting the job completed is the same. Surely everyone gets sidetracked from time to time, but we must remind ourselves to lift up our eyes and be reminded of His calling. We do not have to get overwhelmed with sin to fall short of His will. Many have started out right only to be distracted by less important things along the way.

In the beginning it seemed that His ministry would only reach one woman, but soon the followers of Christ would see that reaching that one would result in many trusting the Lord. We will not always see immediate results as they did that day, but nonetheless finishing His divine purpose for our lives is of utmost importance.

May the Lord not only help us to finish the job, but may He help us to love doing it. This is not the time for us to be half-hearted in this most noble cause of reaching the world with the gospel of Christ, and then teaching them to follow Him as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our great God.

In His Service,
Danny A. 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

In 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?

We are living in ever changing times. It seems that the changes have been many in the last few years. There has been an all out attack in America on so many things where we believe the Bible to be very clear. We can simply say that this was all foretold by God through His infallible Book. We can say that the real problem is Washington and Hollywood. The truth is that the real problem rests at the door of the church of the living God. We are in churches around America. Many of our churches will drop in attendance from Sunday morning to Sunday night by twenty-five to fifty percent, and even more by Wednesday night. Much of the work and giving is being done by a handful of the overall congregation. Church people have for years voted for men and women who have openly declared their position against God, without apology. Righteousness has been replaced by a rewritten and misinterpreted bible that has excused ungodliness, not by the world, but by many churches. We must have revival.

We have preached fearlessly against everything under the sun. We have argued about every difference between us theologically and socially. There is little doubt that if we continue down the same path, we will reap the same result. Yes, we must preach against the sin of the world. Yes, we will always have differences. In spite of these things others have been able to receive the blessings of God by way of revival. We must get back to prayer, biblical exhortations, godly living and fervent witnessing.

Obviously the world is moving in a godless direction, but since when was that any different? Unfortunately, the church has moved down that same path to its own destruction, staying just far enough from the world to point to small differences. God has commanded us to “come out from among them.”

You might be living in a country where this is not true, but your ability to stay there probably rests on the ability of the church in America to support your ministry. It is vital that we join our hearts together in prayer for the enormous needs that we have in Christianity in the U.S.A. There is no doubt that our God is able to raise up another nation to take the gospel to the world, but I pray that He does not have to do so. Would you challenge your people to earnestly pray that our churches will experience a move of God that will result in a move toward Him?

Righteousness will see a nation exalted by God. Sin will bring a nation down, and judgement will soon follow. God has been merciful and patient, but how long can we expect that to continue?

“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.

“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

Satisfaction! Do we ever stop to think about what it takes to satisfy us? I love good food! There are times that I will get a craving for a particular meal. It happens most often when I have been overseas for awhile. Although I do love seafood, I crave a good hamburger. As a matter of fact I am typing this while I wait for a family to come take me for a Five Guys Burger! In a little while I will be satisfied. However, it will be a satisfaction that will be short lived. This experience will be repeated for a lifetime. The satisfactions that we enjoy are very temporal, and oftentimes intensify requiring more of the same.

In Psalm 17:15 the Psalmist said, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” This is our hope of eternal satisfaction. Perhaps it would be good for me to memorize this verse so that I can quote it every time I have a craving for something in this world. Dear child of God doesn’t the thought of this reality stir your heart today. We are sons of God, today. This is the love of God. 1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” How much love did that require? It required John 3:16 love. He gave His own Son for our redemption. So John went on to say in verse two, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear , we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” Now, that is our hope of real, everlasting satisfaction.

Are you craving anything today that would make you less righteous? This might be a good time for you to pause also and become very familiar with Psalm 17:15. We know from Paul’s writings that the difficulties of this life will mean nothing at all when we enter the glory that comes when we see Him. We have a promise from God’s Word that if we do hunger and thirst for righteousness we will indeed be filled. Would this then bring us to the conclusion that if we are not filled with His righteousness it is because we just do not have an appetite sufficient to be satisfied?

Though many miles separate us all, we still live in the same world. It has never been a friend of God, and that will not change until our Lord rules from Jerusalem. In the meantime would you pray for me? Would you pray that nothing in this world would be so appealing to me as the righteousness of God?

The song writer said, “Oh, I want to see Him and look upon His face.” This could be the day beloved. Let’s consider our appetite.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone