The Word Of God Is Alive In 2005

Tell people that God is wonderful! Tell people everywhere about the amazing things God does. (Ps. 96:3 ERV) Oh, I love your teachings, Lord. I talk about them all the time. (Ps. 119:97 ERV)

SEASONS GREETINGS! And my wish for you is that 2006 will bless you richly spiritually and physically; and that you can be a blessing to all you meet by sharing what God means to you and to them. The lost sheep must be found and brought into the Fold. God gave us that job!

NOW INTO ALL THE WORLD! BURUNDI, CENTRAL AFRICA: In May an email from two ministers in Burundi was received telling about their efforts to spread God’s Word. They had started 4 congregations in Burundi and want to do the same in the Congo, and Rwanda. They reported that they use only the Bible and want to learn more Bible. Bob and Jan Towell, Round Rock, TX., enrolled them in the World Bible Institute course where they can study English and Bible. They are in contact with Barry Baggott and Doyle Kee, missionaries to French speaking countries who plan to visit with them in January 2006. Boniface Okalo and Joachim Mvuyekure are inviting ministers in surrounding countries to be with them when this meeting takes place. What a wonderful opportunity to help restore the Lord’s church in these countries! Do pray for this meeting. Both Barry and Doyle have sent them Biblical material in French, their native language. These two ministers do immerse for the remission of sins, do not use musical instruments in worship and take the Lord’s Supper each Sunday and they want to change the church’s name to the church of Christ, to be more Biblical. VIENNA, AUSTRIA: Eastern Europan Mission (EEM), supported by Bammel Road church of Christ, Houston, TX., reports: "In the past decade EEM has printed and distributed hundreds of thousands of the ‘Beginners Bible’ in 8 languages in the former Soviet Union. Another printing of 50,000 Russian children’s Bibles are scheduled to be printed. . . Rob Browne sent us a report from this year’s youth camp in the Novpsobirsk region of Siberia. He spoke of a young camper named Nikita who carried his Bible with him everywhere and read it to anyone who would listen." May God bless Nikita! A grandmother in southern Russia wrote that she and her granddaughter received much comfort from reading the children’s Bible together.

VIETNAM, SAIGON: Tom Tune has been in Saigon for several months overseeing the construction of a Medical Mission Boat ordered by Bill McDonough who works in Cambodia. The Boat will be used on the Mekong River helping those in need of medical care. Tom meets with a small group of Christians, but growing, where they can find places available. The Prime Minister of V. visited President Bush in Washington recently and vowed they have religious freedom in Vietnam. Wrong! Tom wrote the following: "Due to being run out of our meeting place we had to find a new one. We tried all week, and all we came up with was a small upper room. There is another church here called New Life. They had about 500 and even advertised in the paper. They also were told to close downThey lost about half when they did; this was in August, and started meeting in homes, but now they are afraid they are being watched. They have many employees of big American businesses in the congregation and are working hard to change things with the government. Parents have to pay for their children to go to school so there are children roaming the streets. Tom has accepted donations to pay for a uniform and the cost of attending school for some of these children. They and their parents have been attending Sunday worship and some have been baptized. E-mail Tom at for more information if you wish to help. Tom is having treatments for prostrate cancer. Do keep him in your prayers. LIBERIA, WEST AFRICA, MONROVIA: After the terrible wars and peace was restored, Isaac Daye, Ron Pottberg and others of the U.S.A. and Dr. Augustine Tawaih, Director of the Ghana Bible College, went to Liberia to preach in a gospel meeting. Arthur David, local minister, and other local Christians joined in for four reasons: to revive the church, recruit 1000 WBS students, to rescue lost souls, and to restore fallen brothers and sisters. In three days 22 souls were baptized into Christ! Many came from nearby locations, members and non-members, and asked for prayers for changing their lives. The church was revived and asked for another such meeting in the future. Over 1,000 WBS students were recruited and a WBS office established. The Post Master General said the mail system would be running effectively soon. Pray for peace to continue so the Word can spread easily. 

WORLD CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING celebrated 21 years of broadcasting in English, Chinese and Russian from Anchor Point, Alaska, on KNLS . In May a second transmitter stood nearby so there is more coverage to the many countries reached. Construction has begun for a transmitter in Madagascar, an island 250 miles off the east coast of Africa. The Arabic language will be added to the usual broadcasts to reach the Arabic world. The President of M. gave the land for the transmitter. This new station will be known as Madagascar World Radio. Kevin and Nancy Chambers have been with KNLS since the 1980's as engineer and are now in Madagascar to oversee the construction of the new transmitter. And what wonderful opportunities it will bring to spread God’s Word and save lost souls! A Russian listener to KNLS wrote: "I received the three tapes and KNLS response you sent me. I am agog listening to them now as I type this response to you. Alaska is here by my feet now, wow! I teach English at a college here and I’ll necessarily let my students listen to your audio cassettes too." 

RUSSIA, ST. PETERSBURG: Chuck Whittle sent the following in a report: Dr. Everett Ferguson lectured May 12 at St. Petersburg Christian University (SPCU), a Baptist sponsored, general university and seminary. The lecture focused upon the Biblical and early Christian writings regarding baptism. As in his lectures the prior weekend to preachers and teachers from across Russia, Dr. Ferguson carefully covered the Biblical texts showing that baptism was for believers (not infants). He pointed out that post-apostolic, early Christians definitely connected with faith, repentance and salvation. He was asked by a professor at SPCU if in the Bible there is any instance where baptism and salvation were separated. His kind but direct answer was, ‘No." The early writers, he said, show that the Gnostics were the first to separate baptism and salvation. He said that modern people who do separate salvation from baptism do not realize that their fathers in that doctrine were the Gnostics. SPCU seemed to appreciate very much Dr. Ferguson's scholarship, and they invited him to return to lecture again on his next trip to St. Petersburg. The University uses some of Dr. Ferguson's books on early Christian writings in their courses. The president of SPCU was delighted to receive a copy of Ferguson's book, The Church of Christ, An Ecclesiology for Today. The book has been translated into Russian and will be published and distributed by Fund Vita International. The second invitation was from the Theological faculty of St. Petersburg State University, with which our Institute of Theology and Christian Ministry has a cooperative agreement. The lecture was held May 16, and was attended by University faculty and students, Institute students and Christians from St. Petersburg. There the subject of the lecture was Liturgy and Justin Martyr. Chapter 67 of Martyr's Apology, written to the emperor in defense of Christianity, was used to show the elements of worship in the second century. Justin described a community that continually reminded each other about apostolic teachings and the care for needs. Dr. Ferguson showed four elements which Justin revealed as the practice in worship: 1. ministry of the word including much scripture reading and sermons; 2. bold and joyful prayer while standing showing reverence to God as had been the practice in the synagogue; 3. the taking of the Lord's Supper, then called in Greek, the Eucharist, which means a thanksgiving for the sacrificial and atoning death of the Christ; 4. the voluntary offering or contribution. He pointed out that in chapter 67 Justin did not mention singing but in chapter 13 of his Apology it is mentioned and might have been assumed in Chapter 67 as melodic praise psalms and psalms sung as prayers. Showing the Biblical teachings on what Christians did when they came together, he pointed out that Justin had shown that in the second century, Christians were still practicing what they did in apostolic times. Saratov, a Christian in St. P., said: "Accept our heart-felt thanks for the seminar. I thanked God that he has led me to the right church. And hearing all this at the seminar strengthened us inwardly, filling up our faith, giving us confidence, not leaving room for any doubt at all. The example of the first Christians that was given to us at the lectures is such a strength for me personally today. After we shared a portion of what we had learned with the assembled worshipers on Sunday, one was able to see how the listeners came to life. Again accept our heart-felt thanks for such a "weighty" seminar and thank God. Amen." 

May these stories inspire each of us to be concerned about every soul we meet. Each is on one of two roads. Each needs to know about the Way that leads to Eternity with our heavenly Father.