Prayers & Dates – July 2015

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

Andy Bonikowsky“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 Kenneys
The Kenney’s treated the staff to lunch while they were here.

Pepsi Lancaster
Pepsi Lancaster has helped with several office tasks.

From Our President: June 2015

Danny Whetstone“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.

Featured Article: Remember

Andy Bonikowsky“Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;” (1 Chronicles 16:12)

Guess who in the Bible is first said to remember something. God! He remembered Noah who was floating on the flood. Obviously, the verb needs a slightly modified definition when applied to Him, since we can hardly say that He ever forgot anything. But this subject is a fascinating one. Have you ever stopped to ponder the reality of memory?

What a blessing it can be! God is so good to have given us this ability. He could simply have left it out of our makeup, that we not have the capability to rehearse and relish the wonderful experiences of the past. I woke up a little while ago, in the middle of the night, thanks to jet lag. I found myself reliving the many kisses I recently placed on the sweet face of Chloe, our beautiful, brand new grand daughter! She is thousands of miles away now and I can’t go visit her in the morning nor gently rub her soft, fresh cheek . . . But I can savor the experience in my mind, smile, and thank the Lord for the gift of memory.

This verse is part of David’s happy song of praise to God when the Ark was placed in the Tabernacle. It was a personal habit of his to go over and over the wonderful works of his Master, to stop and revel in the truth of divine mercy, and he encourages us to do the same. There is something quite spiritually healthy about it, and it is especially useful in those duller moments of life when we are tempted to despondency or self pity.

Can you remember the moment you put your faith in the Lord Jesus? Pause for a second, and think about it. How about the day you led a soul to Christ? Can you remember a specific moment of divine protection, when you should have been severely injured or died? Can you recall a special incident of financial need when the Lord touched another of His children to come along side of you to meet it? Can you think of a song, sung by a choir or congregation, that sent your soul soaring into the heavenlies? What about the memory of the first time you met your spouse, or gazed at a majestic mountain peak, or held a newborn?

Each of these are treasures God allows to stay in our memory bank. They can be powerful tools of encouragement when put to proper use. Throughout the Scriptures the Lord tells us to pull out these spiritual weapons during key moments of life. We find His people benefitting from this practice as they faced major battles, dark moments of disappointment, or times of confusion.

God has placed eternity in our hearts and part of what that includes is the capacity to remember His marvelous works and bask in the assurance of His grace.

Dear Father, thank You for such a special gift. Help me to recall often those kind gestures You so generously sow along my path. And Lord, thank You for remembering me, every day of my life, even when I have forgotten you. Amen.

Prayer & Dates: May 2015

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.

From the Memo Board: May 2015

Upcoming Dates To Know

May 25
The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day

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

 

Family Fellowship Week

Family Week is fast approaching! This year’s meeting will start with a casual family style picnic at the Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden, NC. Guests are welcome to come in their (modest) travel attire. There will be an abbreviated service, after which everyone is welcome to stay and fellowship or retire to their lodging for a relaxed evening to begin the week. Registration will be held at the Holiday Inn Express following the Monday night service. Those not staying at the hotel will register first thing Tuesday morning, before sessions begin. More details will be provided via email as the event approaches. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

 

Receipt Reminders

When submitting receipts to go along with monthly financial reports, please keep the following items in mind. This greatly helps our staff in processing your reports.

  • Please be sure the receipt is labeled to match what is recorded on the receipt log.
  • When copying or scanning receipts, please do not submit receipts for several months on the same page, as this makes it difficult to match receipts to the correct report.
  • We recommend using a scanner to email receipts, rather than sending them through the mail. You could also take pictures of a receipt, if a scanner is not available.
  • When scanning and emailing a receipt, please ensure that the size and resolution are large enough to be clearly visible when printed.

Thank you for your help in these areas!

 

Amazon Shopping Donation

Did you know that it is possible to support the ministry of World Wide through your regular purchases from Amazon? Simply click here to begin your shopping experience at smile.amazon.com, and then link your account for Amazon to make donations to World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions Inc. Amazon will then donate a portion of their proceeds to the Office.

 

Computer software info

As a non-profit agency, WWNTBM is often able to obtain discounts on certain computer programs for both the Mac and PC. The greatest discounts are available for Microsoft and Adobe products, but discounts are sometimes available for other software as well. Email Anna for further information.

 

Visitors at the Office

We love having people stop by the Office! In the last month, we’ve had visits from several of our missionaries, as well as some larger groups. If you are ever in the area please come by and see us. Here are pictures of some of our recent guests:

MBC Group
Mike & Boone West with a group of senior citizens from Memorial Baptist Church

EBC Teens
Teens from Emmanuel Baptist Church painting at one of our staff homes

Bibey
Richard Bibey hard at work

From Our President: May 2015

Danny Whetstone“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

Featured Article: The Hidden, Risen Lord

Andy Bonikowsky“And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” (Luke 24:15-16)

The two men were thoroughly confused. A week ago they had been part of a growing crowd whose hope was that Jesus of Nazareth was the long awaited Messiah. But that was before the Passover celebrations had begun. Since then everything had taken a horrible turn.

In shock they had listened to the incoming bits and pieces of news until their expectations of victory and kingdom were a heap of dust. The upper room supper, the visit to the Garden, the mob of blood-thirsty men, the nightime arrest and disappearance, the shameful charade between Pilate and the religious leaders, and finally that gory end on the cross. For several days they had stayed in Jerusalem, stunned and groping for answers.

Then on Sunday a ray of hope pierced their dark thoughts as several of the faithful women had reported strange occurrences at the garden tomb. But Peter and John had raced off to check it out, only to return with no sighting of the Lord.

This disappointing report seems to have been the last straw for two of the Lord’s followers. With faces that betrayed their sorrow and crushed dreams, Cleofas and a friend started walking down the road that led to Emmaus.

At some point along the seven mile trip a stranger joined them. They had no idea who He was. They couldn’t have, for this traveler happened to be the very One they were talking about and He had purposely veiled their eyes. But why? One reason was to teach them that their Lord could be very near but be totally invisible to them. This would be especially important in just a few weeks when He left for His Father’s side. For obvious reasons it is also extremely relevant for those of us living in the Church Age.

A couple of interesting events in Scripture come to mind as related to this whole matter of God purposely hiding His person or work. Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6 was distraught because he could not see the Lord’s protecting army, but a simple request from the prophet made reality clear to him. Then in John 20 the Lord deliberately visited His followers when Thomas was gone. After he refused to accept his friends’ witness, Thomas received a mild rebuke from Jesus for not believing what he did not see.

And so, with perfect consistency, Christ gently chided this pair as they walked away from Jerusalem: “O fools, and slow of heart.” The rest of His conversation was taken up with explaining to them what the Word had to say about Himself. And that is always the correct place to go when we are uncertain of His presence. The risen, hidden Lord wants us to develop eyes to see Him in the written Truth. The moment He purposefully drops off the radar and we are tempted to fear . . . is when the Bible can come alive to our seeking, hungry hearts.

Dear Father, when I am tempted to doubt Your presence, help me run to Your Word. There, as I open myself to what You say, Your Son will reveal Himself and calm any restlessness of soul. Amen.