Mission Update 12-13-18

Thank you for giving these girls a Christian Education:

Our school seeks to give impoverished children a high quality Christian education.  Without a good education, there is no hope for a better future.  Poverty is very ugly!  Children suffer the most.  Children are the first in the family to become malnourished and are the last to be treated when they are sick.  I have seen too many children die from preventable and curable sicknesses.  A missionary friend of mine introduced me to these three precious 6 year old girls who have never attended school.  They likely would never be able to afford school.  At the time, they were running around the neighborhood wearing nothing but raggedy underwear.  You are giving these girls hope!  Thank you!  These three girls are now enrolled in our preschool classes.  They received new uniforms, school supplies, school shoes, and medical treatment for one year.  Every child in our school has a terrible story of poverty.  My prayer is that our school will offer these children a level of education that is far above the average Liberian school so they will be at the head of the line in the future.  I pray that our students will not just be educated but that they will develop a passionate relationship with Jesus.  Thank You for giving the wonderful gift of a Christian Education to so many children!

Thank you for buying the medicines that treated 157 people:

Our mobile medical clinic was recently held in a bush town named Denta.  

People from 5 neighboring bush towns came to be treated.  

I praise God for our medical team.  They truly have servant’s hearts!  To the best of their ability, they try to never turn a sick person away.  At times, however, they are so overwhelmed with patients that they have no choice but to treat the sickest first while leaving others untreated.

By the end of the day, our team is both physically and mentally exhausted.  It is at this point that I believe they are the most beautiful.  When they are completely spent, they tell me they want to serve more people saying, “God will give us strength.”    

Many times, they stay late treating the sick and even walk to the homes of those who are too weak to make it to the clinic.  

Regardless of how tired they are, they passionately serve.    

They tell me they want to be like Jesus and treat the sick while sharing the good news.  

Thank you for buying all our medicines and paying all our salaries!  The people we treat have no or little access to medicine.  You have enabled countless of people to be seen by a physician assistant and to receive free treatment.  Each of these people were prayed for at least five times as they work their way through our clinic.  

After being diagnosed and treated, every patient meets with a pastor.  

Praise God!  Last week, 174 patients were treated and 51 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Please pray with me that that God will bring healing to the sick through the medicine we gave and that those who gave their lives to Jesus would grow in their faith and come to know God intimately.

You never know what you will run into on the way home from the bush.  Praise God, no one was hurt.     

Thank you for helping us build a village of group homes for special needs orphans:

Group Home #4’s roof is going on.

We just started group home #5’s roof. 

The walls have been elevated on group home #6.

The village’s generator room and kitchen’s bathroom foundations have been laid.

Lids have been poured for two septic tanks. 

Thank you for helping us build this village.  We hope to move our children into these houses early 2019.  

Thank you for helping us bring truth to Liberia’s churches:

Most pastors in Liberia have no Biblical training, most churches have no Bible curriculum and most congregations cannot read well.  How can Liberia’s churches become healthy with these dynamics?  Two Liberian pastors, one Liberian artist, one Swiss missionary and myself are working together to create curriculum specifically designed to meet Liberia’s churches’ needs.  This curriculum is written for the literate, recorded for the illiterate, and it is highly visual for Liberia’s oral culture.  This curriculum is funded 100% though your generosity.  Thank you!  Here is a sample lesson which gives an introduction to the Bible.
  

Lesson Title: The Bible is above all other books. 

Look at the picture: 

In the same way that God is above all false gods, Lord above all lords, and King above all kings, so the Holy Bible is above all other books.  The word “holy” means to be set apart.  The Bible is a holy book.  It’s message is greater than all other messages.  It’s teachings are to be held above all other teachings.  We should approach the Bible with respect and reverence.  

Look at the picture:  

This picture was created to help us know the Bible better.  Look carefully at the picture and tell me what you see.  (Give the church time to tell you everything they see in the picture).

This picture teaches:

• The Bible is like a library with 66 books that were inspired by God.  
• Some books of the Bible are big, big.  Some books are small, small.  The longest book is Psalm.  It has 150 chapters.  The shortest book is 3rd John.  It has 1 chapter and uses only 299 words. 
• The Bible is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
• The Old Testament is divided into 4 parts:

Part 1: Law - These books teach us God’s perfect law.

Part 2: History - These books teach us the history of God’s relationship with His chosen people.  In these books we learn what happened to people who chose to obey God’s laws and what happened to people who disobeyed God’s laws.

Part 3: Wisdom - These books were written to give wisdom and instruction for holy living.    

Part 4: Prophets - These books contain messages from Old Testament prophets.  

• The New Testament is divided into 4 parts:

Part 1: Gospels - These books tell the story of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection.  

Part 2: History - This book talks about the history of the Holy Spirit working in the first century Church.

Part 3: Letters - These letters were written by the apostles.  They address problems in the church, qualifications for church leadership and sound doctrine.

Part 4: End Times - This book talks about future events.

Many people are confused about the Bible because they have not been taught the Scriptures in the order that they are presented in the Bible.  Bible teachers often move back and forth from the Old Testament to the New Testament from week to week, leaving the church confused.  

Look at picture 3.  All 66 books of the Bible are in this picture from beginning to end.  Notice the lessons that are being taught are not in order.  When we don’t teach Scripture in order, it can create confusion. 

Today, we are starting a new teaching that will begin in the book of Genesis and give an overview of the Old Testament from beginning to end.  We hope this approach of teaching will help you know the Bible good, good.  

Look at picture 4.  This picture shows how our teaching works.  Our lessons starts in Genesis and teaches through the Old Testament from beginning to end.  This study will start with Adam and Eve and carry you all the way through the Old Testament.  By studying this way, we pray that your confusion about the Bible will be resolved and you will know God better. 

Point 1:  The Holy Bible is above all other books because it was inspired by God.  

What does it mean for the Bible to be inspired by God?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “ All Scripture is breathed out by God.”  Can a person speak without breathing out?  No.  Matthew 12:34 says  “...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  The words we speak come from our heart.  The same is true of God.  When the Bible was being written, God spoke the things that were on His heart and people wrote it down.  When we read the Bible, we are reading the very words of God and are coming to know the things that are on God’s heart.  

God used 40 people to write the Bible.  These people wrote exactly what God told them to write.   2 Peter 1:21 describes what it was like for these authors while they wrote the Bible.  It says, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 27:13-38 tells a story that helps us understand what it means to be carried along by the Holy Spirit.  In these verses, Paul was on a boat heading to Rome.  While at sea, a strong, storm came.  The wind blew so hard that the men were no longer able to direct the ship.  Acts 27:17 says, “Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along.”

The words “driven along” in Acts 27:17 are the same Greek words as the words “carried along” in 2 Peter 1:21.  The authors of Scripture were carried along by the Holy Spirit in the same way Paul’s ship was carried along by the wind.  

How much of the Bible is inspired by God?

Jesus told His disciples that every word in the Bible was inspired by God.  

Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, nor a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).  

Some people believe only the words of Jesus were inspired.  Jesus said all the words of the Bible are inspired.  An iota is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet.  A dot is also a small, small mark.  By saying these words, Jesus confirmed that every word and mark of the pen in the original manuscripts of the Bible were inspired by God. 

In the end, we need to know that everything that is in the Bible is necessary.  Sometimes, we may desire more information about a topic than what is given in the Bible.  We need to know that nothing is missing from the Bible.  The Holy Bible tells us everything God wants us to know (Deut 29:29).

Look at the picture:  In this picture, God is telling the authors of Scripture what to write.  The Holy Bible is truly inspired by God. 

Point 2: The Holy Bible is above all other books because it has no errors or contradictions.  

Consider the following facts:  The Bible was written by 40 authors over 1,500 years time span, it was originally written in 3 languages (Hebrew, Koine Greek, and Aramaic), yet there are no contradictions nor errors.  From beginning to end, the Bible communicates one unified story.

An example of the unity of the Holy Bible is Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the New Testament.  Here are a few examples.  

Nahum 1:8; 3:19 Nineveh would be destroyed.  Fulfilled: 606 BC 

Isaiah 7:14 Jesus would be born of a virgin. Fulfilled: Luke 1:35

Micah 5:2 Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Fulfilled: Matthew 2:4-6

Psalm 78:1-2 Jesus would teach in parables. Fulfilled: Matthew 13:34-35

Psalm 55:12-14 Jesus would be betrayed by a friend.  Fulfilled: Matthew 26:49-50
Zechariah 11:12-13 Jesus would be sold for 30 pieces of silver.  Fulfilled: Matthew 26:14-15
Zechariah 13:7 Jesus's disciples forsook Him. Fulfilled: Matthew 26:56
Isaiah 50:6 People spit on Jesus. Fulfilled: Matthew 27:30
Psalm 22:6-8 Jesus would be mocked and insulted. Fulfilled: Mark 15:29-32
Isaiah 53:7 Jesus did not speak when accused. Fulfilled: Matthew 27:12-14
Isaiah 53:5 Jesus was pierced and wounded. Fulfilled: Matthew 27:26; 29
Psalm 22:16 Jesus's hands and feet were pierced. Fulfilled: Luke 23:33
Isaiah 53:12 Jesus was crucified with thieves. Fulfilled: Mark 15:27-28
Isaiah 53:12 Jesus prayed for His persecutors. Fulfilled: Luke 23:34
Psalm 22:18 People divided Jesus's clothes. Fulfilled: John 19:23-24
Psalm 22:1 Jesus's prayer. Fulfilled: Matthew 27:46
Psalm 69:21 Jesus was given gall and vinegar to drink. Fulfilled: John 19:28-29
Psalm 34:20 Jesus's bones were not broken. Fulfilled: John 19:33; 36
Isaiah 53:9 Jesus was buried in a rich man's tomb. Fulfilled: Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15: 43-46
Psalm 16:10 Jesus would be raised from the dead. Fulfilled: Luke 24:6
Psalm 68:18 Jesus would return to heaven. Fulfilled: Acts 1:9
Matthew 24:2 Jesus prophesied the temple would be destroyed.  Fulfilled A.D. 70

How do we know people did not change the Holy Bible over thousands of years of translations?

Answer:  If God is powerful enough to sustain the universe (Job 38:33-37; Col 1:17) and cares enough about you that He knows the number of hairs that are on your head (Luke 12:7), don’t you think He is also powerful enough to protect the Holy Bible so that you can know Him and His will for your life?

Look at the picture:  This picture teaches that the Bible is above all other books because it has no errors or contradictions.  It is 100% accurate.

Point 3:  The Holy Bible is above all other books because it reveals God and points people towards Jesus. 

Did you know that you are not the focus of the Bible?  The Bible is not a book about you, it is about GOD.  Many people read the Bible with selfish motives.  They read it to receive a blessing or to gain wisdom.  While it is true we are blessed when we read the Bible (Revelations 1:3), receiving a blessing should not be our focus.  We should study the Holy Bible so that we come to know God better.  From beginning to end, the Bible reveals God and points people towards Jesus.

Look at picture 2 again to see how God revealed Himself through the different books of the Bible.   

• Old Testament books of the Law:  In these books, God is revealed in many ways.  The list is too long to teach in this lesson.  One thing the Law reveal’s about God is His holiness.  In the books of the Law, we are commanded to be holy as God is holy (Leviticus 11:44).  These books point towards Jesus because Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17; Romans 10:4). 
• Old Testament History Books:  In these books, God’s behavior toward the righteous and the wicked is revealed.  These books prophesy that Jesus’ Kingdom would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Kings 2:45; Revelation 11:15). 
• Old Testament Wisdom Books:  In these books, God is revealed as the source of all wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).  There are many prophecies about Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection in these books (Ps 22:6-8; 22:18; 55:12-14; 78:1-2). 
• Old Testament Prophecy Books: In these books, we learn about the message of God that was revealed through the Old Testament Prophets.  Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophets (Matthew 5:17). 
• New Testament Gospels:  In these books, God is revealed through His Son, Jesus.  
• New Testament History Book:  In the book of Acts, God is revealed through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Acts also shows how a disciple of Jesus lives.   
• New Testament Letters: In these books Jesus is revealed as the head of His church.
• New Testament Prophecy Book:  In Revelations, Jesus is revealed as our coming King who will rule forever.

If God had not inspired the Bible to be written, we would not know God.  Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  Our lives change as we come to know God (Proverbs 1:7; John 14:15).  If our lives do not change, we have not truly come to know God. 

Look at the Picture:  The message of this picture is, the Bible is above all other books because it reveals God and points people towards Jesus. 

Point 4: The Holy Bible is above all other books because it blesses us. 

  

Psalm 1:1-4 gives a clear picture of the benefit of studying the Holy Bible.  It says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.  The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.”

Look at the picture.  Do you see the fruitful tree that was planted beside the stream of water?  When we study and apply the Bible to our lives, we will be like this tree.  Our lives will produce fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).  Now look at the picture of the woman shifting the rice.  Do you see the worthless chaff that is blown away by the wind?  If we do not study and apply the Bible to our lives, we will be like the worthless chaff, blown by the wind.  Which picture do you want to be? 

Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  The Bible is living and active.  It will change your life.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”   We become complete and equipped for every good work by knowing and applying God’s Word to our lives.

If you know how to read, read the Bible every day.  You will come to know God better.  If you do not know how to read, there are many ways you can come to know the Bible.  Listening to the Bible on your phone and going to church are two ways to know the Bible better.  Here are more benefits to studying the Holy Bible. 

Benefits of Studying the Bible:  It produces faith in you (Rom 10:17); it teaches you (2 Tim 3:16-17); it guides you (Prov 6:23); it counsels you (Ps 119:24; 98); it restores you (Ps 19:7; 11); it nourishes you (1 Pet 2:2; 1 Tim 4:6); it sets you free (Jn 8:31-32); it sanctifies you (Jn 17:17); it keeps you from sin (Ps 119:11); it accomplishes God’s purposes in you (Is 55:11); it judges you (Heb 4:12); it strengthens you (Ps119:28); it prospers you (Ps1:3); it gives you hope (Rom15:4); and it gives you wisdom (2 Tim 3:15).

Conclusion of the lesson: The Holy Bible is above all other books because it is inspired by God, it has no errors nor contradictions, it reveals God and points people towards Jesus, and it blesses it’s reader.  Experience the life changing power of the Bible in your heart.  Read His message. 

Prayer Requests:
1.  Please pray for a young girl named Fatu.  She has chosen to follow Christ and she is experiencing intense persecution because of it.  Please pray that her persecutors will come to Christ.  Please pray that Fatu's faith would be strengthened through this trial.
2.  Please pray for our curriculum writing team, that we would be filled with wisdom.
3.  Please pray for my wife as she home schools 9 children.
4.  Please pray that we would see healthy churches started.