Missionaries

Brethren, I grew up in churches that preached the Gospel. And each had its own missionaries. It was not uncommon to have a special board on the wall with their pictures, etc. Requests were made to pray for the missionaries. Letters from missionaries were read. And somewhat regularly they would come from all over the world to update us with slides and words on what God was doing. I can honestly say I am thankful for each and for whatever the Lord is doing with them. For it was the attempt of those churches to fulfill the great commission to go into all the world.
Here, though, we do not have any missionaries in that same sense. There are many reasons for that. Let me explain:

1. The method of deputation (going to churches to gain support) I could not find in the Bible. In fact, I found the opposite.
Paul the apostle, for example, worked and supported himself much of the time.
2. Most missionaries going out were young and inexperienced. In the New Testament it was the greatly experienced leading in these endeavors (Paul).
3. The emphasis in missionaries going out often left the church not sensing the urgency in their own lives and locations to evangelize.
4. Most missionaries followed a pattern not common in the New Testament: They seldom established leadership out of the assembly gathered
and rarely succeeded terms of self perpetuation.
5. It has resulted in a large institution machine that is less than ideal. I say all this with hesitation.
None of it should be construed as questioning the consecration of those men and women. It is rather an explanation of why we do not in the “normal” sense have missionaries. But brethren, we ought to be concerned with reaching out unto the uttermost parts of the world.
Here is how I see it. Our missionary work begins (has begun) here! The need in Eau Claire is large. We are all, in a general sense, missionaries (Acts 7:4)
to our local circumstances. As we fulfill what is in front of us, I am convinced the Lord will open the door to go beyond here to other towns, states and countries. Our recent attempt in towns taught me this. Further, He will no doubt raise up a Paul and Timothy’s, etc. in our midst in His Time.
So, take heart. We are presently doing missionary work here. Look forward to the doors He will open and the men He will raise up to send forth.
Our missionary movement began when this church formed. Its future blossoming will bring fruit that we at present could yet comprehend. To the work, missionaries! The fields are white are white unto harvest!

On Reading Sermons

From time to time I make an appeal to each of you to become readers of good sermons. Note I said sermons. True, there are many books written about God’s Word that are very useful and edifying.  But sermons are in a particular class of there own. For instance, our lives are filled with regularly hearing sermons. We may call them messages or teachings or subjects, but they are ideally sermons. 
A sermon is a word. It is a word or message from the Lord to us. And unique to Christianity is this divine method of preaching a message. It is a word from God to us. And there is something stirring and life changing about that. To this day, outside the Holy Spirit applying the Bible directly (which He does), nothing seems to speak more deeply to me on a regular and almost guaranteed basis than the effect of reading a good sermon. So I want to commend the reading of sermons to you. Last Wednesday evening I read several titles to the young people of sermons (granted these were more like good advise from a father than expositions) by George Lorimer spoken to young people. Some of the titles were “Overvaluing Athletic Sports,” “Keeping Bad Company,” “An Honest Use of Time,”
“How to Achieve Worldly Success,” and many more. Pulling down any sermon book and reading the titles of the sermons is intriguing and inviting. So I will do that. I will simply take one first one that catches my attention. Here are a couple of titles. “The Art of Giving Encouragement.” “The Enemies of Spiritual Life.” Or “The Gulf Stream of Human Life”. 
Here are some titles from another sermon book:  “Sowing & Reaping:” “Now, now - not by and by.” “Why Christians believe in Everlasting Punishment.”
Or “The Immortality of the Soul.” I always like the titles of G. Truitt’s sermons:  “Why Souls go away from Jesus.” “The Doom of Delay.” “The Peril of Resisting God.” One more and I am done. 
T. D. Talmadge’s titles are the most striking (and sermons):  “The Ministry of Tears.” “Shams in Religion.” “The Ear.” “Whisperers.” “Gnats and Camels.” “Paul in a Basket.”
“A Dumb Prayer Answered.” Is that enough!  Listen, brethren, become a reader of good sermons. If all else fails, God will speak to your heart and life through a good sermon. 
That is a guarantee, Lord willing! O, what a wonderful thing to have God speak to us through His Word by His Spirit. And sermons will just that almost upon request. 
Praise God for the memory and the sermons! of the just - from the past. Take advantage of them. Let me know if want to look at some titles.
I have approximately 200 books of sermons and the library has several. The Lord is waiting to speak a word to you!

From time to time I make an appeal to each of you to become readers of good sermons.  Note I said sermons.  True, there are many books written about God’s Word that are very useful and edifying.  But sermons are in a particular class of there own.  For instance, our lives are filled with regularly hearing sermons.  We may call them messages or teachings or subjects, but they are ideally sermons.  A sermon is a word.  It is a word or message from the Lord to us.  And unique to Christianity is this divine method of preaching a message.  It is a word from God to us.  And there is something stirring and life changing about that.  To this day, outside the Holy Spirit applying the Bible directly (which He does), nothing seems to speak more deeply to me on a regular and almost guaranteed basis than the effect of reading a good sermon.  So I want to commend the reading of sermons to you.  Last Wednesday evening I read several titles to the young people of sermons (granted these were more like good advise from a father than expositions) by George Lorimer spoken to young people.  Some of the titles were “Overvaluing Athletic Sports,” “Keeping Bad Company,” “An Honest Use of Time,” “How to Achieve Worldly Success,” and many more.  Pulling down any sermon book and reading the titles of the sermons is intriguing and inviting.  So I will do that.  I will simply take one first one that catches my attention. Here are a couple of titles.  “The Art of Giving Encouragement.” “The Enemies of Spiritual Life.” Or “The Gulf Stream of Human Life.  Here are some titles from another sermon book:  “Sowing & Reaping:.” “Now, now-not by and by.” “Why Christians believe in Everlasting Punishment.” Or “The Immortality of the Soul.” I always like the titles of G. Truitt’s sermons:  “Why Souls go away from Jesus.” “The Doom of Delay.” “The Peril of Resisting God.” One more and I am done.  T. D. Talmadge’s titles are the most striking (and sermons):  “The Ministry of Tears.” “Shams in Religion.” “The Ear.” “Whisperers.” “Gnats and Camels.” “Paul in a Basket.” “A Dumb Prayer Answered.” Is that enough!  Listen, brethren, become a reader of good sermons.  If all else fails, God will speak to your heart and life through a good sermon.  That is a guarantee, Lord willing!  O, what a wonderful thing to have God speak to us through His Word by His Spirit.  And sermons will just that almost upon request.  Praise God for the memory and the sermons! of the just - from the past.  Take advantage of them. Let me know if want to look at some titles.  I have approx. 200 books of sermons and the library has several.  The Lord is waiting to speak a word to you!

Some Thoughts in Light of the coming Year

My annual tradition of giving a book to each who gathers along with a note is on track. The nature of the book for the year will help lead us, hopefully, to learn to live more above the fray of such a fast furious pace of life which we see every where. To wait on the Lord and to rest in Him takes practice and development through years of spiritual warfare. Many of you are learning to wait on the Lord. It is wonderful to gradually get to a place in our lives that we are less and less rattled by the ever changing circumstances of our lives. All about us are events that can unsettle our spirits at any moment. 
We must learn to be silent. We must learn to trust the Lord. We must learn to keep our minds stayed (leaning) upon Him. We must learn to rest in the Lord. We must learn to experience utter dependence on Him. We must learn that He is able to do all things. That He only does all things! And as we gradually learn this, we can have peace in our minds and souls no matter what is going on in our lives, homes, the church, and world in which we live. All things do and are working together for good for them who know and love Him and are called according to His purposes. So brethren, slow down and walk after the Spirit. Wait on the Lord.  Look to Him. Cast your cares on Him. Leave your burdens with the Lord. He will sustain you. Then arise and enjoy the Lord, do His bidding and make known His wonderful works!  Further, it is the life of His church to see some things happening. We are greatly affected when we see conversions, confession of sin, changes in lives, reconciliation between parties and love increased noticeably. Nothing stirs up a church more than a new life in Christ.  Some one who is born again. Therefore, let us pray and labor during this coming year that we might see this. What else are we living for as believers? Is there any thing more satisfying to our souls that to see true conversions, changes and increased love? I think not. Living for anything else above this will lead to vanity, disappointment or carnality which results in wasted lives. No, we want to spend our time here on earth doing His will. And His will is to know Him, glorify Him, love Him and to serve Him.  We are brought back to this time and time again. It is the purpose for which God made us. Let us, then, be at it. One thing that stands out more and more in seeing this is the need to learn to pray and cry out to the Lord. There has been an increase in prayer in the church lately. This is noticeable and a good thing. May the Lord increase our tribe! May we pray the prayers that are earnest and effectual.  May we as a church experience specific answers to specific prayers increasing this coming year. May then, brethren, it be a year in which we experience living our lives above the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye and the pride of life. A life lived in His presence. A life of perfect peace no matter what is happening around us. And may we, as we wait upon the Lord, work as never before for fruit that will remain for ever and ever. And may this year’s labor result in the salvation of many souls for Jesus’ sake!

New Year’s Eve Meeting

As is our tradition, we met for our annual New Year’s Eve meeting. Fifteen men each gave a 10 minute message. Between each message was special music and song. 
We believe the Lord was in it, and that those who spoke as well as those who heard found profit and exhortation. We trust the Lord Jesus Christ was honored and glorified through it all. 
We do know of particular affects already from the gathering. Below is a list of all the speaker and their topics as I can best remember. While we will talk about the past year and the coming year at our annual business meeting, we can say the past year’s blessings were somewhat represented N.Y.Eve by having more young men than ever speak a word for the Lord. 
And we can look forward to the coming year only with hope and anticipation that the Lord will do a good and glorifying work through their lives as well as the women in the church who are giving an increased evidence of having a heart to know and live for the Lord. And may the Lord help all of us “old timers” to keep in the battle and stay on course,
as our examples are no doubt being followed more now both in the home and church more any other time in the past.

Travis Buhler - The church, not the para church movement, is God’s program for our perfection in Him.
Jared Hanson - A personal testimony of God’s preserving grace during a state of being a wayward believer.
Isaac Stanley - The effects and means of mortifying sin in our lives.  James 4:1-10
Calvin Arnould - A testimony of the godly influence of a grandmother in his life.
Matt Larson - Where to find hope in the midst of a troubled nation. The book of Joel.
Andy Anderson - Learning to trust God in the midst of impossible circumstances.  The life of Gideon.
Randy Anderson - How to set and accomplish goals in the life of the young person.
Jeff Peterson - A testimony to God’s grace in saving him while in jail New Years Eve in 1978.
Jordan Peterson - Lessons from the life of the woman caught in adultery.  John 8
Brandt Hanson - The danger of letting biases keep us from reaching the lost.  Book of Jonah
Kevin Misner - Lesson from a Psalm of Thanksgiving.  Psalm 100
David Mell - The nature and importance of faith.
Daniel Kleven - The need for prayer that binds us to the Lord until He answers.
Keith Misner - Beware of snares in our lives that lead us to destruction.  Proverbs 5-7
Adam Marske - The provision of Jesus Christ when we were without strength.  Romans 5:6