I want to challenge every missionary to listen to this sermon by Missionary to Kenya Randy Stirewalt speaking on how to do mission work. I am very impressed with him and the ministry. He is preaching on the Biblical Method for church planting.
This man will be speaking at the Latin Bridge retreat January 6-7, 2012.
Make plans to be with us. Register today!
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Trent and Stephanie are leading a team in India right now. They are helping our friends the Roberts find out what it is like where they will be living in just a few months. God is at work. I am very thankful for Trent and the ministry that God has given him.
I believe that God is going to greatly use Jim Roberts and family. I only wish I were young again and had the ability to go to all these places and work that are in so much need of the gospel!
I do not have much time but would like to give you a quick update about our trip. I do not know where to start except by saying you must make it a priority in your life to “come and see” this incredible country.
My words will do very little in helping you understand how unique, bizarre, horrific, wonderful, and amazing what we have seen and experienced. One man said in trying to explain what he was seeing in India as if he was a deaf man watching someone very caught up in playing the piano. You would know it made sense to them but would be very confusing to you.
There are so many things happening every moment of the day (even now as I am watching 2 men in rickshaws are arguing outside the window) that I do not have a clue about. Even more so as we see the endless amount of time being spent in adoration of false gods.
Our team is coming down to the lobby in a few minutes and we are headed to do some field study of an area in the south west part of the city so I offer you these scattered thoughts.
1. Learning the language (Hindustan – Hindi). Yes, many in the middle class speak English. Many people are here from south India and speak more English. In a few cases English is their heart language but very often it is just not functional.
2. Hindusim is very hard to understand. It never tried to be a united religion. Millions of people across the country worshiped gods of their village and got categorized as Hindus. To know what a person believes you must ask them and listen. No book can tell you about a particular person.
3. There is incredible diversity in living conditions. A slum area can be right beside a fairly nice middle class home. The diversity is without exception. It is always in eye sight. You can hardly get to a place of means where you do not see poverty right in front of you. You are not often around poverty where you cannot see some signs of better conditions in the distance.
4. There are very, very few Kingdom workers here for the population. We have heard of about 100 but are certain there are many, many, more. From the 100 we have heard about only about 10% are working directly with the people of New Delhi. Others serve in logistical roles of supportive ministries for the greater north India area. This has reconfirmed are commitment to urban, church planting.
5. This is by far the most “spiritual” place I have ever been. Religion molds every facet of their lives and effects their economy greatly. The Gospel would not only have radical effects on the individual but on the entire country. Many of the things that hold back this nation from developing and moving forward is their captivity to tradition.
Well, I have to run. The team and bus are ready to go. Thank you all for holding the ropes. In the land filled of idols the Gospel seems sweeter. God is unchanged even when He is not worshiped. God is doing wonderful things in this country. Please, pray for our brothers and sisters here. Please, pray about being one of the 8 families we are asking God to provide for the launch team. We will give more information about this later but we need people in linguistics, Muslim evangelism, writing, media, and all must be in love with Jesus and committed to teaching God Word!
Love you all.
What Happened on Sunday Morning
Sunday morning before we left the house I update my status as:“It’s Sunday! The police know we are a church and know where we meet, nothing left to do but keep going forward trusting God! Psalm 5:11-12.”
We had problems on Wednesday with the police after a routine check up but we weren’t aware of how serious the problem was at that time. We just knew that the police knew about the church. You can read that update here.
Then somewhere around 11:30 on Sunday morning, just minutes after one of the Chinese pastors stood in front of the crowd and started preaching the Word of God, the door in the back opened and a line of people started to enter (at first I honestly thought “wow, look at all those visitors coming in!”). They continued to walk to the front of the auditorium, then I noticed some wearing police uniforms, and they walked to the front and stopped the preacher and stopped the service.
There were about 20 people in total, some police officers and others from the religious department. A few were in police uniforms but most were in civilian clothing. The had people at each of the doors blocking the exits. Then they continued to go to each person asking questions and gathering personal information. They separated the foreigners and the Chinese nationals. The took our information but of course none of us Americans had our passports.
One of the guys who claimed to be a cop asked me if I was a preacher and had preached here, I responded in the affirmative.
After collecting information from everyone in attendance the head guy gave a speech to the Chinese nationals and let them go, expect for the pastors and one church member.
Then they gave a speech to us foreigners and then let us go.
Afterwards, they took four of our members from the church (three pastors) to the police station and questioned them. We returned to the church, prayed and while we were waiting for any news from the guys, removed all of our stuff from our rented location and moved it to our other location. Not long after we were finished moving all our stuff everyone returned from the police station. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and explained what happened at the police station and the questions they were asked.
Everyone started to calm down, we encourage each other to pray and trust God and people went there way.
This is from one of our dearest friends. He serves in China and is home on a short furlough now. I am right now on the phone with another friend from our church in China! I hurt for the believers, the Bible teachers, and all who serve God in China.
I want to comment on the questions asked by my friend.
Oh the junk going through my head right now….
Got a phone call from my buddy tonight just as we were laying down to go to sleep. Told me that there was an email from China just sent out to our missionary team (I am in the States right now). This morning’s church service was interrupted by twenty police officers. Two of the Chinese men training for ministry, two of the best friends God has ever blessed me with, are in the police station right now.
One of them was about ten minutes into his sermon when they came in. They didn’t all have on uniforms – most didn’t I understand. The pastor from the government church was in their entourage. Guess it didn’t get ugly or anything. They gave the Chinese people a lecture on the illegality of the service. Took down people’s info. Then they took the guys away. In good spirits, according to my co-laborer still on the field.
- why am I here on the other side of the world when this goes down?
- how long are they going to hold the guys?
- what are we going to do next week?
- whose faith will be shown to be false in this trial?
- will the cops leave us alone after this?
- how much of our 4 years of work must be rebuilt?
- do those two know how much I love them and how proud I am?
- have I prepared them sufficiently for this day?One question need not be asked, and I pray my friends won’t ask it even in custody: is it worth it? Preaching the Gospel to many who are learning to love it, to some who’ve never heard it before? Attempting to share it with even more people? If that’s not worth it all, what is?
Was there a way to avoid this? Sure. By staying under the rock. Maybe they’ll keep pushing us back under. If so, we’ll do all we can from there. But how can we not try to reach? Not try to be more bold? How can we content ourselves with the rumors of other people’s persecutions and avoid all of our own? How can we act like we have no higher purpose than escaping persecution? Jesus was expelled from places, as was Paul – who do we think we are to rest under the rock?
So to all my friends and brothers who visit this page: please pray, not that the Lord will allow us to escape safely under the rock, but that we will take refuge in him and gladly pay the price of preaching the Salvation that cost the ultimate price to earn.
God is in control. He knew this was going to happen as well as did my friends. They have been the boldest witnesses I know of in China. They will continue to be so. Many have been saved. Others have grown spiritually.
They were big enough to get on the Devil’s radar. Their message was never political but Biblical. They told people about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The true believers will be stronger. Some will go back because they never believed. Others may be scared for a short time but will believe and get stronger.
This is just more proof of why we must train national pastors to do the work in case the missionaries get kicked out!
This is proof of the need for an indigenous church. A church that can operate on their own, serving Jesus, without help from America.
I am so proud of these believers. I am super proud of my missionary friendsh. They are my heroes. They have trained the men. One of them was preaching today. None of them backed down. None of them denied who they were, who Jesus is, or what they were doing.
That happens because God’s men have invested correctly in the people.
This is not a man’s work and it will stand. Jesus is and will be glorified. To my friends M and J. I love you and I am so proud of you!
To my friends in China I love you. I am so super proud of you and blessed they get to know you and serve Jesus with you.
Keep up the good work!
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Chris Fies made the following announcement to Vision this morning:
After prayerfully considering different directions in which we could go in serving the Lord. Kathy and I have decided to become missionaries to the unreached people of the world. We will be doing this with an exciting new ministry here at Vision called Voice in the Villages. Lord willing you will be hearing more about this in the coming weeks and months. Pray for us as we take the next step in doing what the Lord has for us.
I hope that you will join me in praying for Chris and Kathy as they start on this new venture seeking to extend the kingdom of God!
Check out bcwe.org
Vision Baptist Church Baptists Committed to World Evangelism