Articles

By Angela Rice

Do you ever wonder what happens when our missionaries receive Everlasting Smiles Shoeboxes? Let me share this exciting news with you:
The first shipment of shoeboxes arrived in El Salvador to Pastor Rigoberto Cruz on December 18. The very next day, Pastor Rigoberto and his team began loading trucks and distributing boxes to the different mission churches in their areas of ministry.

Then the churches hold special children’s events for the community where they give them out. Although the shoeboxes bring people to the programs, the pastors focus on the plan of salvation for the children families that come.

December 22, Pastor Rigoberto gathered together his own community of Montelimar for a children’s event to give out shoeboxes. With over 1,200 people in attendance, there was standing room only. The event included clowns, fun games, music, and a drama portraying the life and death of Jesus. The finale was a message of the good news of Christ, and several people accepted Jesus. A fireworks display ended the evening.

While I was celebrating Christmas with family and traditions, Pastor Rigoberto and his team were out in the community each day of the holiday season spreading the love of Christ with the shoeboxes you sent.
Police and delivery truck drivers were given gifts for their children. Gifts were given to children on the streets and to more than 300 children who spent Christmas in the children’s hospital. Nurses and doctors there received gifts for their children and the team spent time in prayer with families of the patients. Gifts were given in mission churches and areas where churches are in the process of being planted.

Every day I received a report of how the ministry was going and how God was blessing the people of El Salvador through your generosity.
5“We are reaching places where the children have never been blessed in such a great way as today” is how Christmas Day was described. “The smiles of the children are priceless.” Our pastors and leadership team in El Salvador spent time in a small village that most would consider poor. They walked from house to house to deliver gifts to the children and to spend time getting to know families in the community better.

Pastor Rigoberto said, “We do not have a church in this area, but we have had professions of faith because we have been visiting for a few months. We want to use the toy boxes and the medical brigade (BMMI) to establish the mission.”

So what happens for our missionaries as a result of giving out boxes? On the Sunday following shoebox distribution, Pastor Rigoberto’s church in Montelimar was packed with people sitting in chairs outside the church. Many new relationships were made, and with each box containing the plan of salvation, people were pointed to Christ and to our churches.

Whether from our friends who packed them in the States or the ministry team that delivered them in El Salvador, each shoebox was given with love and showed the love of Christ to others. Please pray for the pastors in El Salvador as they continue to serve the people in their communities and follow up with those who have begun attending their churches.

The BMA of America national meeting has been canceled. However, we need our churches to vote even though we are not meeting as usual. You can find the ballot and more information at bmaamerica.org/2020ballot.

• 2020 Ballot Letter
• Moral Action Proposed Resolutions
• BMA of America Proposed Resolution On Beholding the Majesty of God

New Testament Baptist Church in Sullivan, MO has been blessed with the opportunity to host the 2020 BMA of Missouri Mission Symposium & Mid-year meeting on Friday & Saturday, May 15th &16th. We hope that you will make plans to join us!

The theme for our Mission Symposium will be “Helping Our Churches Excel.” This theme is based on I Corinthians 14:12b- “…seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.”

Come hear how God is using the New Testament Baptist Church and Missionary, Stan Scroggins to plant the New Testament Tigbawan Baptist Church in Tigbawan, Southern Leyte, in the Philippines and be challenged as we seek to work together to see our current BMA churches in Missouri excel and see new churches planted in Missouri in the future for the glory of God.

The Missions Symposium will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 15th. There will be testimonies from Pastor Josh Wright, church member Mae Lahmann, missionary Stan Scroggins, and church planter JayR Suico. As well as congregational singing, special music and a challenge from Pastor Josh.
The Mid-Year Meeting will be Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. Missionary Stan Scroggins will be preaching and a meal will be provided following the meeting in the church fellowship hall.

Here are a few area motels that would be suitable for your stay during the meeting:
Comfort Inn • 736 S Service Rd. W, Sullivan, MO 63080 (573) 468-7800
Baymont by Wyndham • 275 N Service Rd. W, Sullivan, MO 63080 (573) 367-2211
Budget Lodging • 866 S Outer Rd., St. Clair, MO 63077 (636) 629-1000. Please make your reservations as soon as possible while there are plenty of rooms available.

We look forward to seeing and enjoying our fellowship with many pastors, deacons, and church members of our BMA of Missouri churches. Please feel free to contact New Testament Baptist Church with any questions you may have about these meetings: (573) 468-3334.

by John David Smith

World Missions Day is a significant event for BMA Missions as churches around the association pray and give a special offering to support our partnership in global missions. Pastor, this year I am personally asking if you will lead your church to prayerfully support global missions on World Missions Day with a special offering. BMA Missions – Your PARTNER in global missions. In the New Testament we get a picture of the early church and a multiplication movement that was fueled by missionary endeavors supported through the partnership of local churches. Partnership is at the heart of our missions philosophy. Here’s how it works: Local Churches are both the source (sending) AND the goal (planting) of missions.

BMA Missions provides the assessment, training, and support missionaries need for effective global ministry. U.S. Missionaries spread the gospel, make disciples, and plant churches around the world. ChangeMaker Missionaries are the product of our missions partnership. They are local missionaries planting churches in their native countries. We want to be YOUR partner! Will you help us send more missionaries to develop more disciples and train more local ChangeMaker missionaries to plant more churches so more people will hear the gospel? Register your church for World Missions Day 2020 at https://bmamissions.org/ worldmissionsday/ and we will send your pastor a FREE rain jacket! (Read ChangeMakers story on Page 5.)

As we approach the end of a year we often hear the expression, “It’s out with the old and in with the new!” Here are seven things that many of us need to replace in our lives.

1. Replace Pride with Humility.
   “But He gives more grace, therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:6
   “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” Psalm 25:9
2. Replace Anger with Self Control.
   “An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.” Proverbs 29:22
   “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
3. Replace Unbelief with Faith.
   ““See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
   Hebrews 3:12-13
   “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
4. Replace Revenge with Forgiveness.
   “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
   Romans 12:17-19
   “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” I Peter 3:9
5. Replace Complaining with Praise.
   “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
   Philippians 2:14
   “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16
6. Replace Wicked Thoughts with Pure Thoughts.
   “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Matthew 15:18-19
   “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think on such things.” Philippians 4:8
7. Replace Gossip with Encouragement.
   “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. Proverbs 26:20
   “Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32

Dear churches,
As I have stated in the past I have a goal of submitting an article each month just to do my part in helping Bro. Jim fill out this paper and he has regularly encouraged any of us to do just that, submit an article. So here we go! I would like to share with you my journey to a quiet time and what God orchestrated to what I still do today after about 30 years.

Now I know that quiet times can be about as different and personalized as finger prints and as long as they are God honoring they are not wrong. Let’s first answer the question, “What is a quiet time?” Simply put, it is spending time with God, having a personal daily worship time with God. It also envelopes the term discipline, and putting God First, etc.

So let’s make some assumptions: These are not deal breakers but preferences for sure.

The place you have your quiet time needs to be quiet. It needs to be a place and time that you can enter into solitude. Being alone with God.
Now let’s answer some questions: “Why a quiet time?”
God has clearly delineated in His word that this is His desire! He wants all of you all the time but work, family, and life’s demands have to be experienced, so He desires at least “some” daily moments.
David said, “Early will I seek thee…. in a dry and thirsty land where no water is.” (Psalm 63:1) “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…. and all these thing will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

And, we seek God because “man doth not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
When? I think we have already answered that! The morning, if possible. But, if the morning is a no go a quiet time at night is better than no quiet time at all.
Where? Again probably already answered that, somewhere where you can focus. I know a lot of people who have their quiet time in the car on their way to work.
That’s alright!
So lastly, How? Because you know The Who?

So here’s my story: I went to college never hearing the term “quiet time,” but it seemed that in the internal fraternity of Christian colleges, this was a sacred rite and practice in which only rank heathen did not participate..
Therefore I quickly adopted the language and gave tepid practice to the discipline of spending a daily quiet time with God; but if the true story is to be told it wasn’t until a year or so into my youth director job at Bethel that Keith Ragsdale approached me to participate in a study on how to have a structured quiet time.
Needless to say it changed my life for good and for God.

So I am going to end this article with the actual verbiage that I pray each day and, no it is not a ritualistic prayer as much as my daily discipline in approaching God in a time of solitude.
The basic approach is that you have two types of prayer. You first respond to God’s holiness with confession, God’s attributes with Praise, To God’s Glory with worship, To God’s blessings with thanksgiving, Then you ask God, as your Father, what you need for that day, and then you ask God, as your Master, for the kingdom needs.

Here is my rough outline that I use each day:
I respond to His Holiness with confession. Dear Father if there is any unclean way in me please forgive me and cleanse me….
I respond to His attributes with praise. I praise you for being all knowing, all powerful, ever present, sinless, immortal, unchanging, wrathful, just, merciful, kind, compassionate,…
I respond to His Glory with worship.
I worship you…. Worship is the response of an adoring heart to the magnificence of God in the highest sense of the word. It is the occupation of the created with the creator. It is the pure joy of knowing that you’re worshipping the One who’s name is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

I respond to His blessings with thanksgiving. I thank you Lord for Jesus your son, our Savior; your Spirit; and You! Your heaven – your Word – your armor – your people – purposes – your ways – (the church) – Your wife, Dawn – your daughter, Molly – your son, Benjamin – your son, Tony – your salvation health and personality – Your future salvation – health and personality – your clothes – food – cars – trucks – vans – riches – houses – and lands…

Now I ask Him for what I need since He is my Father. I ask you to fill me with your Spirit, conform me to your image, please put on the armor – Your helmet of salvation, it is your salvation – The breastplate of righteousness, it is your righteousness – The girdle of truth, it is your truth – The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, it’s your gospel and your peace, and peace with you – The shield of faith It’s your faith (Ephesians 2:8,9) – The sword of the Spirit, it’s your Word – And with all praying for all saints
Then I ask Him as my Master for what I need to accomplish His kingdom work. Dear Father, help us to know you – Let us in on your kingdom work – help us to bear your fruit in Jesus name, I pray amen.

May the Lord bless you as you seek His face each day.If you do not already, please find what works for you and seek Him daily.

by Ben Kingston, Pastor • Bethel Baptist Church, Lonedell, MO