Yesterday, I conducted my first funeral as pastor of Vision Baptist Church. It has been over four years. We have had some funerals but not of our members or their immediate families. I did conduct my dad’s funeral but they were no longer members of Vision
This is the message that I preached for little Wesley Allen Wei Tolson’s graveside.
More Precious than Gold
I Peter 1:7
Your faith has been tested and proven
Faith put on trial
It has been a fiery trial
Everyone has trials and this one in particular is not uncommon
What is uncommon is your love for God and your faith in Him
Your faith is more precious, worth more than gold
You have trusted God with your eternal destiny
You have trusted God with your earthy future
You have trusted Him with the daily trials
When the why and the why me loomed so great on the horizon you trusted God
Passing the test brings praise, honor, and glory to Jesus
People have marveled at the way you have been able to deal with it
You and little Wesley Allen Wei Tolson has been used to bring great praise, honor and glory to Jesus
I am personally challenged to trust God more and honor Him in my trials and testings
You have shown how the grace of God can carry us through the fiery trial and still bring honor and glory to Jesus
In Heaven they sing the song you have lived over the last few months
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Mark and Natasha have been shining examples to all of us. I am so blessed to know them and to see the grace of God over all their lives. Please continue to pray for them.
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Kyle Shreve, Scott and Melissa Newton and I are in Barcelona, Spain. It is a wonderful place with very wonderful people. There is a great need for the gospel. Today we will spend the day trying to find out what is available and where the greatest needs are.
Last night we visited a 30 + year old church that had just a handful of people. They say that no matter where you turn the people need Christ and that there is little interest.
I couldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for my good nurse friends, Bekah Hall, Tracey Paver, and Anne Lundy who have given me shots to try and hurry me back to health. Thank you all very much.
I will write and let you know what I see happening but ask that you pray that God give Scott and Melissa clear direction.
The following article was written by a great friend working in the Muslim world. He understands first hand what the ministry there means. He has lived it and is leading a team there at this moment. Read and enjoy. Feel free to comment below.
A tool for understanding the complexities of Muslim missions
Many people have a hard time understanding the difference between Afghanistan and Turkey or Saudi Arabia and Morocco. “They’re all Muslim countries, aren’t they?” is the general American understanding. Well, yes, they are. But they are all very different in their method and severity of implementation.
Many young missionary candidates, like myself, are passionate about church planting, discipleship, and leadership training. As a result, they are looking for a place they can exercise these passions. Knowing the laws against these things in some Muslim countries, they never consider going to any Muslim or Arab country. Having thus decided, they ignore more than 20% of the world’s population (including half of the world’s unreached people groups).
Some other young missionary candidates, like myself, are passionate about reaching Muslims. So they change their missions strategies to fit a “Muslim” or “Closed” country mentality. They change their goals from being church planting to “blessing” the country with business or with their influence. Instead of tailoring a strategy to a country or region they would paint it all with the same brush and thus miss out on great opportunities for Christ’s glory.
Possibly a better understanding of what freedoms exist in each country will open up minds and hearts to reaching Muslim peoples. I have observed that there are basically four types of Muslim countries in terms of the religious freedom they grant their people. You could call this the “Freedom Scale” for quick reference. You can fit every majority Muslim into one of these six categories however each country has it’s own peculiarities. Muslim countries are also in a constant flux as leadership and attitude in the country changes. A country may move up or down a level in a day. Look at the Islamic revolution in Iran or the secularization of Turkey under AtaTurk for opposing examples.
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Trent Cornwell, Joe Gibby, John and Sandy Pearson, Wade and Kathy Williams along with Betty and me have all arrived in Arequipa. We are excited to have the opportunity to take part in the organizational services for Omega Baptist Church on Tuesday night. This will be our second daughter church and that is very exciting.
Vision has several members that live and work here in the city of Arequipa, Chris, Andria, and Jacob Gardner, David and Katie Gardner, Mariangela Simeon, Rebecca Soncco, and David and Stephanie Velke. So with all of us that are here visiting Vision has 17 members in the city. That is pretty wild if you think about it.
The Velkes and Mariangela are here finishing part of their education at the Our Generation Training Center.
It is exciting to see all that God is doing here and to know that He is glorifying His name above everything because He is great.
Pray for Betty as she is quite sick and I am still trying to recover from what ever it is that is ailing my respiratory system and throat.
More updates will follow so stay tuned.
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Vision Baptist Church Baptists Committed to World Evangelism
