One Village at a Time

Global Ark of South India is constantly spreading the Gospel in unreached, out-of-the-way places. In a recent evangelistic outreach, the entered a poor village and knocked on every door to share the Gospel. As a result, a man came to faith in Christ. He was baptized on Easter Sunday! They are now planning to start a fellowship in that village! This is New Testament evangelism/church planting!

Please pray for Global Ark and their needs for evangelism, orphan ministry, and church planting.

Meet Pastor J. and Family

You have read many reports from me about Pastor J. and the work he is doing for the Lord in Myanmar. I thought you’d like to meet him and his family!

Pastor J. went to Myanmar shortly after graduating from Emmanuel Seminary in Kota, Rajasthan, India. He had little to nothing when he arrived back in his homeland. He began to evangelize and train new believers for ministry and take in orphans. Today, he is sending out students to evangelize in villages and plant churches! God is doing a great work in Myanmar!

The Lord gave he and his wife a beautiful baby boy. They requested that I name the child!!!!!! I named him Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord.” It is Pastor J’s prayer that Jedidiah will grow up and win Myanmar to Christ!

Pastor J has issued a standing request that I come and present the first Bible seminary graduates with their degrees. Please remember this in your prayers. As soon as the Lord supplies and gives me the “go ahead”, I hope to lead a team over to minister to these saints and reach out to unreached villages!

Pray for this wonderful family. Pray for the Bible students who need land and a building for their seminary training. Pray for the gospel to go forth in Myanmar and that many Buddhists will be won to Christ!!!!!!

Meet Saya

Saya is one of the many committed Bible Students of Emmanuel Ministries, Myanmar. After committing his life to the Lord, he decided to serve the Lord in Shan state. However, he did not know the language.

Therefore, he went on and spent a year studying and learning the language. After being able to speak the local language, he went to a village that has 1500 homes. He began to pray, fast, and witness for the Lord. His desire is to lead the entire village to Christ and serve the Lord there until death!

Pray for Saya and the people of his village! May many come to Christ!

Pray for Pastor J. and the ministry in Myanmar. They still need land and a facility for the seminary students to meet and be trained for Gospel ministry. Search And See would like to send 1,800 to help meet the needs of the seminary students. If you would like to join us in this project, please click the “donation” button at the top of the page.

The Christ Hymn

For the past 4 Sundays, our church has studied and meditated on Philippians 2:5-11. It was a delightful, enriching time. Even though I preached 5 sermons on this profound text, I know we have not yet touched the bottom - it is just that deep.

Last night we ended our study by making some simple observations on the belief that these verses are actually a hymn that was sung by the very first Christians. With that in mind, I thought it would be great for our church to close the study of Phil 2:6-11 by singing it as a hymn as well.

I have changed the words a little and arranged it to be sung to the tune of "He Leadeth Me." Give it a look and feel free to use it in personal, family, or corporate worship. Click here.

There is no better songs of worship than those composed straight out of Scripture! Enjoy!

Closer to the Finish Line!

As you can see from the picture, the worship/ministry facility of Search And See Ministries, Kenya is nearing completion. The roof is being built now, and then the interior will be finished!

This project began as a $42,000 project—the largest project Search And See has ever undertaken! We raised $12,000 to purchase the property and are currently raising the $30,000 for building and church materials.

At present, we only need $8,000 to finish the church!

What a blessing it is to bless our sister church in Kenya. Imagine—after 20 years of worshipping out in the elements under torn tarps tied to nearby trees, our dear brother and sisters will have a sanctuary of their own to worship the Risen Savior! And not only that, this building is going to serve many good purposes. It will be used for training young pastors, for conferences, for Christian school, for ministry in times of disaster, and the list goes on and on… This is why we are calling it a worship/ministry facility!

Join us in praying for the ministry and church family in Kenya. Along with their many preaching points in the area, Search And See Kenya has also begun to plant churches throughout the area. Recently, a young pastor was sent to Tanzania to begin a new work.

This project is really exciting as we work to encourage and equip this ministry for great things in Africa. If you would like to donate toward this project, please click here and then click the “donate” button at the top of the page.

Thank God My "Dumb Sabbaths" Are Over!

Let me first explain the phrase “dumb Sabbaths.” The phrase has been attributed to the Rev. Samuel Rutherford, a Scottish Presbyterian minister of the 17th C. Rutherford is most known for a collection of his letters gathered by Andrew Bonar. These letters have inspired and encouraged many saints through the years because each one drips with a profound sense of the beauty, glory, and goodness of Christ. Spurgeon said of Rutherford’s letters, “When we are dead and gone let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford’s Letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men.”

In 1627, Rutherford became minister of Anworth, which most of his letters are pastoral in nature. In 1636, Rutherford was exiled to Aberdeen for nonconformity. It was while in exile that he began to speak with much grief and heartache of his “dumb Sabbaths.” In other words, being in exile he was unable to preach the Gospel on Sunday, and it was his greatest burden! When met with the possibility of being moved from the pastorate later in life, he recalled the turmoil of living with “dumb Sabbaths” and said, “… for there is a woe unto me if I preach not the gospel, and I know not who can go betwixt me and that woe.” He could not stand it if he could not preach! Like Jeremiah, a fire was shut up in his bones!

On February 15 of this year, I was called to pastor First Baptist Church, Paintsville, KY, and after a year of exile away from the pulpit, my “dumb Sabbaths” are finally over! I know how Rutherford felt. Even though the Lord ministered to my heart every time I sat and heard a minister proclaim the Scripture during my time away from the pulpit, at the same time, my heart would almost explode! I was literally dying to preach! And I am so grateful that the Lord has given me the privilege to do so again.

This past Sunday was a glorious day at First Baptist. There is a strange, high receptivity to the Word, and I know it is the work of God in the hearts of His people! The service closed with everyone one their feet singing joyfully “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” It was thrilling to see.

I am so thankful that not only are my “dumb Sabbaths” over, but the Lord has granted me a pulpit where His Word is readily received. I rejoice, and my cup overflows. Surely this is what it is like for goodness and mercy to follow you!

Why Would You Not Pray?

My previous blog was the content of a message I shared with students: Why Would You Pray? The following is my address to the parents and students: Why Would You NOT Pray?

Why would we, as parents, NOT pray FOR our students, WITH our students? And I mean those two prayer aspects to occur at the same time. In other words, we should be praying regularly FOR our children, WITH our children. It is good for them to hear Mom and Dad plead on their behalf before the throne of grace! The reasons why we don’t pray for and with our children are pathetic at best! We simply do not put forth the effort, schedule it as routine, and discipline it into our lives. When at the same time, the thought of missing a dance recital, football game, or some other activity that has its benefits but is of no eternal consequence whatsoever, is out of the question. In fact, these extra activities are so important to the health, growth, and wellbeing of our students (or so we think) that corporate worship even takes a backseat to them!

I want to propose 2 monumental reasons why we can’t afford NOT to pray FOR our students, WITH our students.

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus tells Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have “you all,” that he might sift “you all” like wheat, but I have prayed for “you, singular” that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

#1) Prayer builds a shield that stays the daily, constant onslaught of the enemy against our children!

Did you notice that “you” is plural in v31 and singular in v32? In other words, Satan is after ALL the disciples! And Satan is after every single human being on earth. He is a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may DEVOUR! (1 Pet 5:8) That’s right—Satan wants to devour our children. And he is successfully ripping most of the upcoming generation apart. He wants to “sift” them. And he uses all means to do so. He “sifts” by distracting them with “stuff.” He “sifts” by elevating popularity and acceptance as foremost of importance. He “sifts” by presenting fame and fortune as life’s ultimate satisfaction. He “sifts” by replacing the ugliness of sin with a façade of “cool, hip, fun, exciting, and acceptable.” And the sad fact of the matter is that by the way most parents live in this society, we actually reinforce the sifting instead of living radically Christ-centered lives that “shout” to our children, confront the culture, and declare “Christ is the greatest Treasure in the Universe!”
Notice in the v32 that although Satan has DEMANDED to have the disciples, Jesus tells Peter, “But I have PRAYED for you…” See that! Prayer is the answer to the demands of Satan. We must pray FOR our students, WITH our students because Satan DEMANDS them! Pray builds a shield that stays the daily, constant onslaught of the enemy against our children. That’s the negative side, next is the positive side.

#2) Prayer secures eternal, spiritual blessings.

See what Jesus says! Although Satan has demanded Peter, Jesus has prayed for Peter. And He has prayed for eternal, spiritual blessings: perseverance of faith, repentance, and encouragement for the brothers! And Peter lived out those three graces! He endured in the faith, he repented of denying Christ, and he led the early church to be bold witnesses and evangelists and missionaries! (Notice—Jesus told Peter exactly what he was praying for him, thus my plea for us to pray FOR our students, WITH our students!)

It is those spiritual blessings that alone can satisfy the soul! Above all of the distractions that crowd into the lives of our students, do we not, as Christian parents, desire things like faith in Christ and purity of life for our children? So should we not be before the throne often, pleading for these things for our children?

In 3 John v4, John is addressing his children in the faith, but this verse applies to us as parents as well. Surely, we desire our natural children to also be our children in the faith! (BTW-side note here—God has given us our children for us to have the privilege of making disciples, not for us to neglect that joy and depend upon the student minister to disciple our children for us!) Listen to what John says: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Can we say, “Amen” right there! If my daughter wins a beauty pageant, I’ll be a most happy and proud father—but I have no greater joy in this life than when she comes to me one day and says, “Daddy I want Jesus!” If my son scores the winning touchdown, I will surely be excited and celebrate with him—but I have no greater joy in this life than when I send him off to labor for the Lord in whatever capacity God should call him! As a matter of fact, whether anything like the pageant or the game happens or not, nothing will change about who they are. But I MUST see them come to Christ and live for the glory of God! I have no greater joy than that!

Then let us pray FOR our children, WITH our children! Prayer builds a shield around them and secures blessings for them! Let us pray!

Why Would You Pray?

I had the enormous privilege of addressing students and parents on the subject of prayer this past weekend. The following is my message to the students. I thought it might benefit us all to ask ourselves, “Why Would We Pray?”

I posed the question to the students to begin the message, “Why would you pray?” I wasn’t being sarcastic, even if my tone sounded like it. I was being serious. Why would a teenager living in suburban America pray? (BTW-for this blog I’m going to switch from saying “teenager” to saying “adult.” The shoe fits us all!) Why? I know of at least 2 reasons why we would NOT pray!

(1) We have so much stuff, we don’t need to. We live in a maze of I-whatevers, you name it. We are all chasing after the next gadget, technological toy, vehicle upgrade, all the while being dominated by entertainment and media. We are constantly inundated and consumed with things. We have everything we want or, at least, we are in the pursuit of them, making steady plans to acquire the latest “necessity.” Christians in the West, sad to say, are running after these things with just as much gusto when at the end of the day, it does not matter one single bit how many “apps” your I-phone has—but we live as if it does! People pray when they are needy. We aren’t; we have it all. (or so we think)
(2) People usually pray when they feel a sense of the weight of their own sin. In our society, there is no sin! So why would we pray? I have observed a major shift in our culture. We have moved from tolerating explicit sin to celebrating it! And so called “believers” are just as guilty in what they allow AND ENDORSE into their homes via entertainment media! I am absolutely appalled at what is now commonplace viewing on prime time TV. It is shocking to me what “believers” will admit and parade as their favorite shows. For an example, I had thought about renting the movie Get Smart. I like The Rock, and I like comedy. However, after viewing the preview, I was sick. There is a scene in the movie where homosexuality is presented in a “funny” context. (That is how we get desensitized! Sin is made to be funny—and we laugh and watch it over and over and over…) Now some of my friends who herald Christian liberty will call me a legalist here. But before you throw me off, can you really imagine the Apostle Paul watching Get Smart with you in your home and laughing at that scene? No sin = no prayer. (no matter the real truth that we are dreadfully sinful)

About the only time we do pray, I mean really fervently pray, and put away the distractions like Facebook, is when we get into trouble (like our girlfriend may be pregnant) or get really sick—then we really pray! (And when God does not answer according to our will in these situations, we get mad at God! Usually that’s because He’s the first person we have ever met that tells us “No.” And that’s because he is far more concerned about what we need than what we want!

So again, why would we pray? I think a good place to start answering that question is to see why Jesus prayed? I mean think about it. He had the same reasons for NOT praying as we do—but from far different perspective. (1) He didn’t need anything! He was the fullness of Deity in the flesh (Col 1:19). He was God. Everything was His already! (2) He never felt the weight of His own sin. Although, he did feel the weight of our sin (2 Cor 5:21). Yet, He prayed often (Mark 1:35). So why did Jesus pray?

2 Answers appear in John 17, particularly in reading verses 20-26. (1) Jesus loved the Father! 3 times Jesus mentions the love shared between Father and Son in these verses. An eternal, unceasing, overflowing, pure, and holy love exists between the Father and the Son. Jesus prayed because He loves His Father. (2) Jesus prayed because He loves His people with the same love! The same verses that speak of the love between Father and Son also speak of the love for all believers. Jesus prays that believers will know and abide in the love that the Father has for the Son! Think about this—one of the everlasting graces of salvation is that we will eternally experience the eternal, unceasing, overflowing, pure, and holy love that is shared between Father and Son! Jesus prayed that for us because he loves us that way!

This is exactly why we should pray—love to the Father and love for His people! Listen ever so carefully to I John 5:1-3 while applying this lesson on prayer. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”

Could it be that prayer is so burdensome because we do not love God or His children—possibly because we have not been born again?

May the love of God be poured out in our hearts that we would pray! And really pray!