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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

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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

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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.

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Prayer & Dates: April 2015

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

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From the Memo Board: April 2015

Important Dates

April 3
Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 5th.

April 6
The Office will be closed in celebration of Resurrection Monday.

June 15-18
Family Fellowship Week at Brookhaven Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC.

 

Doctrinal Agreements

If you have submitted your doctrinal agreement statement, your new card for 2015-2016 will soon be available for you to download and print from your SecureCloud folder. If you have not yet submitted your annual agreement, please click here, or email [email protected] as soon as possible, indicating that you have read and are still in agreement with our Articles of Faith. If you have questions or concerns, please contact John O’Malley.

 

Estimated Payments

We often hear from tax preparers that one of the biggest issues facing missionaries at tax time is the failure to submit estimated tax payments throughout the year. Because missionaries are considered self-employed, they are liable for self-employment taxes. According to the IRS website, those who are self-employed should submit quarterly estimated tax payments if they expect to owe $1000 or more in taxes. Your tax preparer can help you to estimate how much should be submitted on a quarterly basis. The Office can assist you with submitting those payments to the IRS. For more information, email [email protected].

 

Ministry Bank Accounts

If your ministry has been chartered and established as a non-profit organization, we recommend having your ministry get a bank account in its name. Funds for purchases such as land may be able to be sent directly to your ministry, thus eliminating your personal tax liability. Please note that there are limitations to this option. Of course, regular support could never be sent this way. Please contact the missions office for more information.

 

Missions Website

Missions.Today is a blog where missionaries can share resources and tips about life on the field. The goal is to provide a portal of information where missionaries can share and receive materials pertinent to missions and Christian service. The site is user-driven, and is most useful when many individuals participate in sharing information. We encourage you to browse the site and participate by posting your suggestions and ideas.

 

Ian PriceNew Addition

Congratulations to David and Melissa Price on the birth of Ian George Benjamin on March 10th. Ian is the second child of the Prices. His older sister, Karis, is 2 years old. The Prices are missionaries in France.

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From Our President: April 2015

Danny WhetstoneSatisfaction! 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

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Featured Article: The First Obedience

Andy Bonikowsky“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. . . .
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.” (Gen 1:3 & Mat 9:9)

The first to obey God’s voice in the Bible was light . . . or was it nothing?! The actual facts are that God spoke to nothing and told light to exist. Nothing responded, so to speak, and there was light.

Sure, that sounds sort of odd, but by focusing on the creation this way, we are reminded of a very important Biblical truth. God is the One who both speaks and empowers. He is the ultimate reason for every good thing that is ever created or happens. When the Lord spoke to the deaf and dumb void, reality sprung into being.

The process continued after light was created, when the firmament and water appeared, and then dry land showed itself. Next the Lord spoke and all herbs and trees snapped into sight. Then again came the creating Word, and the sun, moon, and stars turned on.

Next in line to respond in obedience to the Maker’s voice were the birds and sea animals, followed by every other living creature on earth. Finally, the culminating moment arrived, though in a curious twist of the pattern, Jehovah did not speak to nothing this time. He picked up some already made dust, personally formed it into a man, and made woman from him.

The entire sequence of creation came about in a chain of perfect obedience to the Words of God.

And how could it be otherwise?

All of this was beautiful and glorious and right. The Creator and His creation communicated in perfect harmony. His speech produced instant fruit.

Part of the mystery and marvel of it all was in the amazing Word that came from God. The sound was directed towards the powerless blank space, which by itself could do nothing. But with the Word came the very power needed for obedience. Ultimately it was all from God!

This perfect formula hasn’t changed over the centuries. The process of faith happens when impotent man hears the Word, and embraces it, knowing that with it comes the power to obey.

He who has ears to hear will pay attention to the Word of God. He will not pretend to have any special ability in himself but will expect to receive it from the very Word he hears. After all, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Word that was in the beginning, that was with God, and was God, continues to speak through the Scriptures. He calls out to man with words that cannot be misunderstood . . . only disobeyed.

“Follow me.”

How tragic that as far back as Eden man has used his God-given power of choice, to go against the example of light and firmament and tree and sun. The very quality that is our unique crown is turned into a deadly noose.

Today, the same challenge stands. I am not forced to respond correctly, like nature around me. Rather, it is my privilege to obey willingly, with thankfulness, with praise, with awe.

Dear Father, I look to You and want to obey. Help me remember that even as I read Your Word and hear Your voice, You are offering the power to say, “Yes, Lord.” and act. Amen.

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Our Current World Wide Family

Click the link above to download a PDF of our current World Wide Family. 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.

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Prayers & Dates: March 2015

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

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From the Memo Board: March 2015

Upcoming Dates

  • March 15 Please submit your Doctrinal Agreement by this date. Refer to the email that was sent for more information.
  • June 15-18 Family Fellowship Week in Greensboro, NC

 

Special Projects

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

Did you know that there are times when extra funds like this could impact your W-2 amount?  For instance, funds raised for the purchase of a vehicle or land cannot be listed as an expense on your Financial Report, so you would need to claim the income, and then confer with your tax preparer regarding how that expense may affect your personal taxes.  Because of this, there may be a need to adjust your estimated tax payments throughout the year.

We also have an area of our website where we can post special projects for you.  This gives exposure to your need.  When contacting us about the need, please let us know if you would like for us to publish it on the mission website.

Our staff can better serve you when we are aware in advance that you may be expecting funds for a special need.  Thank you for your help in this area of keeping us informed!

 

Julie BrownNew Baby

Congratulations to Matt & Nikki Brown on the birth of their baby girl! Julie Nicole Brown was born at 9:12 PM on February 17th (Cambodian time). She weighed a healthy 6 pounds 4 ounces and was 19.7 inches long. Matt & Nikki have been in Cambodia just over a year. Their son, Joshua, is two years old.

 

Family Fellowship Week

If you will be in the United States in June, please be sure to join us for our annual Family Fellowship Week. This year’s meeting will be hosted by Pastor Fred Daniel, Jr., and the members of Brookhaven Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC. The meeting will begin with supper on Monday evening, June 15, and will end after the Thursday evening service on June 18. More information will be coming to you soon, but please be sure to mark the dates on your calendar now, and begin making arrangements to join us! Meals and lodging are always provided by the church, so the only cost to you would be your transportation, and a minimal cost for children’s activities.

 

Missionary Housing

Daniel & Linda Draime have a home in Ocala, FL, that they have made available to missionaries and others in Christian service who are on deputation, furlough, or vacation. It is a two bedroom, two bath home, and is fully equipped for a family of four. You may contact them by email at [email protected] for more information.