The Presence and Power of God's Holy Spirit!

“It is so natural for us to feel that with a good knowledge of the language, sincere earnestness and sympathy with the people, together with prudence, common sense, zeal, hard work and perseverance, sooner or later great spiritual results must certainly be accomplished. This is by no means the case. Our labors may combine all the above conditions and yet be fruitless in the conversion of souls. If we depend upon our gifts or acquisitions, our zeal in the use even of God’s appointed means, with an underlying and insidious desire for a result … we shall probably be disappointed. If we are cherishing a feeling of self-dependence in any form, God will probably humble us before He will use us. We must feel that if anything is accomplished it will be by the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit, and be ready to ascribe all the glory to Him. Otherwise He will probably leave us to ourselves to learn the lesson of our own weakness. The natural tendency to depend on self, or on anything else rather than God, has been a prominent sin of God’s people from the earliest times. I am disposed to think that this tendency now prevails to a great extent among Christians at home and that missionaries commence work in foreign lands too much under the influence of it.” ~from “The Planting and Development of Missionary Churches” by late 19th century missionary to China, John Nevius

Happy Sunday

Yesterday we visited Eliane during Friday outreach. She is the mother of Brandon, Noel and Angel. Two years ago, I was handing out tracts on the streets of Bamenda (You can easily stand in one place and give out 2-4 hundred tracts in one hour on a busy street in Bamenda – and rarely will a Gospel tract be refused). Eliane saw a white man giving out free literature and crossed the street to get her own tract. I invited her to Faith Baptist Church, and she came the next Sunday. After the preaching that morning, she responded to the invitation and Becca led her to Christ. Becca encouraged her through the books of John and Romans and she has been burdened for her husband, Sunday, ever since. Yesterday, Tomasmike Anye Nju had the wonderful privilege of sharing the glorious Gospel with Sunday, and he bowed his head and heart to believe in Christ as his Savior. Praise the Lord for what he is doing in lives and families in Cameroon!

Missionaries Aren't Special.

Missionaries aren't special. There is nothing about foreign geography that makes us super-sanctified or sin-proof. Were tempted to deny like Peter, pout like Elijah, get cynical like Jonah, and turn back like Mark. We deal with depression and loneliness and pain and threats and fears and danger and frustration. Our woman and children get injured in the fray. Our new converts get attacked worse than we do. War is hell. So please pray!...pour over our prayer letters (and reply once in a while). And when you pray, pray the prayer that Paul requested: that the word of the Lord would spread quickly and be glorified (2 Thessalonians 3:1). That's the crux of the matter. That's the reason we came. ~David Hosaflook

Nothing to Fear

Following the death of his first wife, renowned pastor and Bible expositor Donald Grey Barnhouse was taking his children to the funeral. They stopped at a traffic light and a large truck sped by, its shadow engulfing them for a moment. Turning to his grieving children Barnhouse asked, "Would you rather have been hit by the truck or its shadow?" "The shadow, of course!" his children responded. Dr. Barnhouse said quietly to the three children, "Your mother has not been overrun by death, but by the shadow of death. That is nothing to fear."

Wings of Prayer

"The cause of world evangelism must go forward on the wings of prayer...Missionaries will only be effective as their supporters uphold them in earnest, intelligent, and faithful prayer. General and non-specific prayers are not sufficient. Our prayers must be informed and Spirit-directed." ~Ernest D. Pickering This quote is an excerpt from a pamphlet we are distributing to our people tomorrow during our mission emphasis month.

Meditate Much on Heaven

"Christian, meditate much on heaven, it will help thee to press on, and to forget the toil of the way. This vale of tears is but the pathway to the better country: this world of woe is but the stepping-stone to a world of bliss. And, after death, what cometh? What wonder-world will open upon our astonished sight?" ~Charles Spurgeon

Detours?

"Detours provide new networks to spreed the message of eternal joy." ~David Hosaflook

The Greatest Missionary Volume Ever Produced

"The New Testament is uniquely and preeminently missionary - the greatest missionary volume ever produced. Every section of it was written by a missionary, with the primary objective of meeting a missionary need and promoting missionary work." ~The Bible Basis For Missions, page 22

We have not "lost" them, because we know where they are.

"Meanwhile, we on this dying Earth can relax and rejoice for our loved ones who are in the presence of Christ. As the apostle Paul tells us, though we naturally grieve at losing loved ones, we are not "to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Our parting is not the end of our relationship, only an interruption. We have not "lost" them, because we know where they are. They are experiencing the joy of Christ's presence in a place so wonderful that Christ called it Paradise. And one day, we're told, in a magnificent reunion, they and we "will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18)." ~ Randy Alcorn (from his book "Heaven")

Missions Involves Movement

"Meditating on missions is meaningless without movement. When God stirs your spirit, He also loosens your tongue, rattles your routine, and gets you off the couch." ~David Hosaflook