This will be the last of the "distinctions" articles I've been on for a while, but I think it provides a good transition to some discussions about expository preaching which I would like to get into next.
It is possible to not be preaching an exposition of the biblical text, but instead be preaching your exegesis of the text. Thus, a very cognitive, fact-oriented presentation of what is in the text may be given (assuming you got your exegesis right), but not with much power or vital spiritual/conceptual insight. Sometimes this has even degenerated into the preaching of old college/seminary classroom notes. Such a preacher may truly be working very hard and being very faithful to the text of Scripture, but seeing little progress in terms of growth into Christlikeness in the lives of his listeners.
Reacting, perhaps, to the above "dry as dust" kind of preaching, others can tend to go rather far the other direction. Some do not even do any exegesis of the biblical text in preparation for their messages. Maybe they only use a text that they feel says what they want to say to their church. Maybe they get their messages from some other source, like downloading them from their favorite big-name impersonal mentor's website, or from a homiletical lectionary, or book of sermons. Maybe they don't even crack a Bible in their church at all. Maybe they resort to "skyscraper sermons", one story after another. At worst, these may not be preaching the Bible in any real sense at all, and at best they are merely preaching applications (whether legitimate or illegitimate) of the Bible, either of their own choosing or from borrowing.
I'm not about to propose a middle-ground approach, but rather suggest that true expository preaching is a 3rd way, or different way, from the two scenarios I have described above.
Expository preaching is not a lecture about your exegesis of the text. Neither is expository preaching a lack of exegesis that just relates application and stories without serious attention to the text. Expository preaching is the proclamation of the results of your biblical exegesis done in a way that exposes the listener to the accurate meaning of the text in context, and is the proclamation of the results of humble, Holy Spirit controlled meditation that has already produced the results of faith and obedience to the text in the life/application of the preacher.
Study and prayer should not be separated. Exegesis and application should not be separated. Preaching and obedience should not be separated. Doctrine and concept should not be separated. Biblical accuracy and loving, compassionate, bold, warmhearted spiritual fervency should not be separated. Expository preaching is biblical truth set on fire by the Spirit through the lips of a godly man. Those who think they do not like expository preaching have probably never really heard any. Expository preaching is truth, love, beauty, power, holiness, grace, salvation, conviction, wonder, and praise all flowing as one stream out of the heart of a Christ-enthralled man. If you know Christ, what is there to not like about that?
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Grace and Church Discipline
As I listen to pastors and church leaders, I hear (or don't hear) a few things that continue to concern me deeply in relation to the topic of church discipline. Things like, "I always want to err on the side of grace." Well who doesn't? But what does this mean? Or, "We don't do church discipline because only legalistic churches do this." Or, "What do I do about this problem situation (often a person sinning) that is dividing my church?" - when actually church discipline would stop the problem. Or, more commonly I just hear nothing on the topic. I guess discipline has been replaced by people-pleasing.
On the other side, I am also concerned about some who seem to "discover" church discipline, and end up becoming so narrow that suddenly a huge group of people in the church are put under discipline without appropriate biblical instruction. If discipline has been neglected in a church ( and in many cases it has been), careful instruction and patience must be given in implementing biblical teaching on discipline. Sometimes, rather than rushing to discipline, a pastor may need to realize he has inherited a flock of goats instead of a flock of sheep. The answer to this will be the consistent preaching of the Gospel through expository preaching before one starts the disciplinary process. The Word of God and the Spirit of God will sort out the goats until you can see what you are truly dealing with.
The Brethren movement has as its main historic distinctive the loving exercise of church discipline. As I have stated in Childlike Faith (p.30; <www.bmhbooks.com>), "page after page in (Alexander) Mack's writing, and in writings over the the next century and more after him, make allusions to Matthew chapter 18 as the description of Jesus' teaching concerning living in spiritual community with mutual accountability to one another in church discipline." The establishment of "mutual accountability" will need to precede the implementation of a formal or official disciplinary process.
A book that was helpful to me years ago was Disciplined by Grace by J.R. Strombeck (Strombeck Agency, 2nd ed. 1947). Even the title should suggest that grace and discipline go together. We are not operating in grace when we overlook or even give tacit approval of ongoing sin in the life of a professed brother/sister in Christ by our unloving silence. Neither are we operating in grace when we become harsh, legalistic, or self-serving (i.e. "win-lose" attitudes instead of "win-win").
Quite often disciplinary experiences do not end up the way we desire. Our desire is for forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus predicted that sometimes the final step will be to "let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matt.18:17). Even then the door should be left open for future forgiveness (Matt.18:21ff.). But we must not allow the realities that church discipline can be difficult, is sometimes very uncomfortable, and often does not end up as we desire, to prevent us from doing it the way Jesus taught us. What is at stake if we do not? - marriages, families, personal testimonies, evangelism, truth, the church herself.
Of course we must do this in grace and love. But in these days of apostasy and pseudo-tolerance, the greater danger is that we may not be doing it at all.
On the other side, I am also concerned about some who seem to "discover" church discipline, and end up becoming so narrow that suddenly a huge group of people in the church are put under discipline without appropriate biblical instruction. If discipline has been neglected in a church ( and in many cases it has been), careful instruction and patience must be given in implementing biblical teaching on discipline. Sometimes, rather than rushing to discipline, a pastor may need to realize he has inherited a flock of goats instead of a flock of sheep. The answer to this will be the consistent preaching of the Gospel through expository preaching before one starts the disciplinary process. The Word of God and the Spirit of God will sort out the goats until you can see what you are truly dealing with.
The Brethren movement has as its main historic distinctive the loving exercise of church discipline. As I have stated in Childlike Faith (p.30; <www.bmhbooks.com>), "page after page in (Alexander) Mack's writing, and in writings over the the next century and more after him, make allusions to Matthew chapter 18 as the description of Jesus' teaching concerning living in spiritual community with mutual accountability to one another in church discipline." The establishment of "mutual accountability" will need to precede the implementation of a formal or official disciplinary process.
A book that was helpful to me years ago was Disciplined by Grace by J.R. Strombeck (Strombeck Agency, 2nd ed. 1947). Even the title should suggest that grace and discipline go together. We are not operating in grace when we overlook or even give tacit approval of ongoing sin in the life of a professed brother/sister in Christ by our unloving silence. Neither are we operating in grace when we become harsh, legalistic, or self-serving (i.e. "win-lose" attitudes instead of "win-win").
Quite often disciplinary experiences do not end up the way we desire. Our desire is for forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus predicted that sometimes the final step will be to "let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matt.18:17). Even then the door should be left open for future forgiveness (Matt.18:21ff.). But we must not allow the realities that church discipline can be difficult, is sometimes very uncomfortable, and often does not end up as we desire, to prevent us from doing it the way Jesus taught us. What is at stake if we do not? - marriages, families, personal testimonies, evangelism, truth, the church herself.
Of course we must do this in grace and love. But in these days of apostasy and pseudo-tolerance, the greater danger is that we may not be doing it at all.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Preaching The Gospel and Methodologies
Back on November 17, 2007 I promised that I would cover a few more distinctions that may help us in doing ministry. This is one of the remaining topics.
When asked what the best method/approach to evangelism is, my response is, "Preach the Gospel." Often the questioner will look at me as if I'm a bit dense in the head, and thinking I've not understood she/he rephrases the question, "But what is the best method for preaching the Gospel?". Then my reply is, "Preaching the Gospel IS a method - it is THE method - it is GOD'S method."
While you will have to throw out his Anglican sacramentalism, Roland Allen's book "Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?" (originally written in 1912; 2nd ed. 1927; Eerdmans ed. 1962) will be a refreshing read to many who may have missed it. How did Paul do missionary work? He preached the Gospel ! How did Paul plant churches? He preached the Gospel ! How did Paul carry out his "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18)? He preached the Gospel ! Allen clearly makes the point that preaching the Gospel IS Paul's method.
How does God "save those who believe" ? Answer : "through the foolishness of the message preached" (1 Cor. 1:21). What is God's "power ... for salvation (including justification, sanctification, and glorification) to everyone who believes" ? Answer: "the Gospel" which Paul was "not ashamed" to preach (Romans 1:15-16). Paul, even under tremendous pressure, had no alternate method, no "plan B" - only the "boldness in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God amid much opposition" (1 Thess. 2:2,4).
Paul did seem to have some methodology/strategy for meeting people and deciding how he would spend his time. He would go "to the Jew first" and if the Jews were not receptive he would preach to others until he saw who would be receptive and preached to them (Acts 13:45-52). How did he decide who was receptive? He preached the Gospel to them ! Paul would go to places where he thought people who had some spiritual interest might be gathered, and then he would preach the Gospel to them (Acts 16: 13-14). There are methods for meeting people, for building relational bridges of love into their lives, but the preaching of the Gospel is not up for methodological variance.
Yes, methods of doing things may and must keep changing. They are temporal and finite. I assure you I would not have been writing a "blog" twenty years ago. We are always preaching the Gospel in the context of culture which is changing. We want our message to connect with people's receptors. But, the message does not - must not - change. The Gospel we preach must be the same Gospel Paul preached or it will not save.
Jesus did not say "go into all the world and be the Gospel" - He said "preach the Gospel". Paul did not go into Corinth to take surveys to find out what people wanted to hear, but rather with "weakness and in fear and in much trembling" he determined that he would know nothing among them "except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" so that their faith "would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." (1 Cor. 2:1-5). Jesus and Paul did not avoid warning people about eternal punishment and hellfire (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43ff, 2 Thess. 1:6-10, and many more) hiding behind some notion that such is not their "purpose" or "ministry". Warning people to flee from coming wrath is a major purpose of Gospel communication (Matt. 3:7 cf. 1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9).
If you preach the truth that is eternal, you will always be relevant, because the eternal is always relevant. If you adapt the Gospel to try to be relevant, you preach "another Gospel" (Galatians 1:6-7) and make yourself irrelevant in the process. Far better a smaller group of faithful believers looking for heaven, than a larger group of make-believers who just want their "best life now", and don't even really get that (2 Tim. 4:1-8).
The Gospel IS God's method.
When asked what the best method/approach to evangelism is, my response is, "Preach the Gospel." Often the questioner will look at me as if I'm a bit dense in the head, and thinking I've not understood she/he rephrases the question, "But what is the best method for preaching the Gospel?". Then my reply is, "Preaching the Gospel IS a method - it is THE method - it is GOD'S method."
While you will have to throw out his Anglican sacramentalism, Roland Allen's book "Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?" (originally written in 1912; 2nd ed. 1927; Eerdmans ed. 1962) will be a refreshing read to many who may have missed it. How did Paul do missionary work? He preached the Gospel ! How did Paul plant churches? He preached the Gospel ! How did Paul carry out his "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18)? He preached the Gospel ! Allen clearly makes the point that preaching the Gospel IS Paul's method.
How does God "save those who believe" ? Answer : "through the foolishness of the message preached" (1 Cor. 1:21). What is God's "power ... for salvation (including justification, sanctification, and glorification) to everyone who believes" ? Answer: "the Gospel" which Paul was "not ashamed" to preach (Romans 1:15-16). Paul, even under tremendous pressure, had no alternate method, no "plan B" - only the "boldness in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God amid much opposition" (1 Thess. 2:2,4).
Paul did seem to have some methodology/strategy for meeting people and deciding how he would spend his time. He would go "to the Jew first" and if the Jews were not receptive he would preach to others until he saw who would be receptive and preached to them (Acts 13:45-52). How did he decide who was receptive? He preached the Gospel to them ! Paul would go to places where he thought people who had some spiritual interest might be gathered, and then he would preach the Gospel to them (Acts 16: 13-14). There are methods for meeting people, for building relational bridges of love into their lives, but the preaching of the Gospel is not up for methodological variance.
Yes, methods of doing things may and must keep changing. They are temporal and finite. I assure you I would not have been writing a "blog" twenty years ago. We are always preaching the Gospel in the context of culture which is changing. We want our message to connect with people's receptors. But, the message does not - must not - change. The Gospel we preach must be the same Gospel Paul preached or it will not save.
Jesus did not say "go into all the world and be the Gospel" - He said "preach the Gospel". Paul did not go into Corinth to take surveys to find out what people wanted to hear, but rather with "weakness and in fear and in much trembling" he determined that he would know nothing among them "except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" so that their faith "would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." (1 Cor. 2:1-5). Jesus and Paul did not avoid warning people about eternal punishment and hellfire (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43ff, 2 Thess. 1:6-10, and many more) hiding behind some notion that such is not their "purpose" or "ministry". Warning people to flee from coming wrath is a major purpose of Gospel communication (Matt. 3:7 cf. 1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9).
If you preach the truth that is eternal, you will always be relevant, because the eternal is always relevant. If you adapt the Gospel to try to be relevant, you preach "another Gospel" (Galatians 1:6-7) and make yourself irrelevant in the process. Far better a smaller group of faithful believers looking for heaven, than a larger group of make-believers who just want their "best life now", and don't even really get that (2 Tim. 4:1-8).
The Gospel IS God's method.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Back From Africa
Thanks so much to all who prayed for the recent ministry in C.A.R. It was truly a fruitful and significant time. 28 evangelists and potential pastors received training in Bambari, the home of Pastor Mboi Andre. These men are on the move to reach eastern C.A.R. with the Gospel (most churches and believers live in the western portion of the country, so there are still unreached and least-reached people in the east). Mboi Andre is currently on a trip to Zemio, an eastern town, where he is engaging in evangelism and church planting. Pray for his ministry, his travels on rugged roads (and sometimes no roads), and for his family while he's gone.
27 students also received training in leadership and communication at Bangui with Hibaile Augustan's CIDEL ministry. This was a great class with some very sharp students. They are from varied professions, so pray for their impact as salt and light in Bangui.
I also had a great time preaching in the churches, being present for the dedication of the Project Hope and Charity orphan center, meeting and encouraging some pastors I had not met before, and fellowshipping with our missionary staff in C.A.R as well as some others who were visiting from the States while I was there.
If you are following the current unrest in Kenya and Chad, you know the importance of praying for the stability of the Central African Republic. Situated as it is geographically, if it is stable it has the potential to halt the spread of unrest throughout the rest of the continent. If unstable, the unrest could spread through C.A.R. like a wildfire. Great days, maybe the greatest ever, could be ahead for our ministries in C.A.R., but this could be sidetracked by any time of turmoil. Let's pray First Timothy 2:1-4 for Africa in these days.
27 students also received training in leadership and communication at Bangui with Hibaile Augustan's CIDEL ministry. This was a great class with some very sharp students. They are from varied professions, so pray for their impact as salt and light in Bangui.
I also had a great time preaching in the churches, being present for the dedication of the Project Hope and Charity orphan center, meeting and encouraging some pastors I had not met before, and fellowshipping with our missionary staff in C.A.R as well as some others who were visiting from the States while I was there.
If you are following the current unrest in Kenya and Chad, you know the importance of praying for the stability of the Central African Republic. Situated as it is geographically, if it is stable it has the potential to halt the spread of unrest throughout the rest of the continent. If unstable, the unrest could spread through C.A.R. like a wildfire. Great days, maybe the greatest ever, could be ahead for our ministries in C.A.R., but this could be sidetracked by any time of turmoil. Let's pray First Timothy 2:1-4 for Africa in these days.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Truth and Relationships...Continued
This will be my last entry before I leave for Africa. I will try to resume as soon as I can after I return and recuperate. You may post comments while I'm gone, but I won't be able to respond until I get back. My blog helper, Dan Kreider, will monitor your comments and clear the helpful and edifying ones (and the vast majority have been great!).
If you have not been reading all the comments on the last TRUTH AND RELATIONSHIPS article, you are missing some interesting stuff. I am encouraging additional comments on this article because I feel they are surfacing some very important concepts. To keep up to date you may wish to respond with your comments, even from the previous article, to this article. That way I will be less likely to miss them when I return.
Now for a few more concepts.
I hinted at this one, but no one went for it. So, I'll say it more bluntly and you all can kick it around. Am I the only one, or is professing Christianity/evangelicalism just a lot wimpier than it was 30 years ago? I remember times when men of God who disagreed could confront, argue, and edify one another - like "iron sharpening iron" - and still walk away with mutual respect. Yes, there were some cruel, unloving abuses too. But it seems that now the pendulum has swung so far the other direction that many just suffer in unloving silence for fear of someone getting upset or disagreeing. It seems that we have quite a representation of babies (under the guise of postmodernity?). Consider 1 Corinthians 11:19 - "there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you." We need not fear controversy, because controversy reveals those who are approved, and sorts out those who are not. Controversy can sharpen our convictions! Exhortation, rebuke, reproof, confrontation - these do not have to be bad things to avoid. They are, in fact, an important part of biblical love.
Next one; does anyone else feel the danger I feel with this mindset of "major and minor doctrines" (or essential and non-essential, or primary/secondary/tertiary)? Of course, some truths are more central/foundational to our truth claims than others (the Trinity, substitutionary death of Christ, et.al.) But when other matters are made minor, it appears to me that the "minor compartment" keeps getting larger and larger, swallowing up even these very central truths. So, now the push (relative to Islam) is "as long as it is monotheistic"- that is to say, the Trinity is not as important (a minor or secondary doctrine!!). Some may feel I'm being extreme, but this does seem to be the trend. Where does it end? I would say apostasy, except for a relatively small, faithful remnant.
Last one; why does it seem that I am being pushed to settle for the "lowest common denominator" instead of "going for the gold"? Let's learn more and more of God's precious truth instead of settling for less. All for His glory!!
If you have not been reading all the comments on the last TRUTH AND RELATIONSHIPS article, you are missing some interesting stuff. I am encouraging additional comments on this article because I feel they are surfacing some very important concepts. To keep up to date you may wish to respond with your comments, even from the previous article, to this article. That way I will be less likely to miss them when I return.
Now for a few more concepts.
I hinted at this one, but no one went for it. So, I'll say it more bluntly and you all can kick it around. Am I the only one, or is professing Christianity/evangelicalism just a lot wimpier than it was 30 years ago? I remember times when men of God who disagreed could confront, argue, and edify one another - like "iron sharpening iron" - and still walk away with mutual respect. Yes, there were some cruel, unloving abuses too. But it seems that now the pendulum has swung so far the other direction that many just suffer in unloving silence for fear of someone getting upset or disagreeing. It seems that we have quite a representation of babies (under the guise of postmodernity?). Consider 1 Corinthians 11:19 - "there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you." We need not fear controversy, because controversy reveals those who are approved, and sorts out those who are not. Controversy can sharpen our convictions! Exhortation, rebuke, reproof, confrontation - these do not have to be bad things to avoid. They are, in fact, an important part of biblical love.
Next one; does anyone else feel the danger I feel with this mindset of "major and minor doctrines" (or essential and non-essential, or primary/secondary/tertiary)? Of course, some truths are more central/foundational to our truth claims than others (the Trinity, substitutionary death of Christ, et.al.) But when other matters are made minor, it appears to me that the "minor compartment" keeps getting larger and larger, swallowing up even these very central truths. So, now the push (relative to Islam) is "as long as it is monotheistic"- that is to say, the Trinity is not as important (a minor or secondary doctrine!!). Some may feel I'm being extreme, but this does seem to be the trend. Where does it end? I would say apostasy, except for a relatively small, faithful remnant.
Last one; why does it seem that I am being pushed to settle for the "lowest common denominator" instead of "going for the gold"? Let's learn more and more of God's precious truth instead of settling for less. All for His glory!!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Project C.A.R. '08
THE MINISTRY OF DR. KEITH A. SHEARER TO THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (JAN. 08 – 25, 2008) –
Please pray . . .
1.) for the spiritual health and growth of New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church while Pastor Keith is gone (for ministries, attendance, offerings, and a great spirit of worship.)
2.) for Pastor Keith's family during the time of this project.
3.) for safe travel for Pastor Keith (see Itinerary).
4.) for physical health and strength for Pastor Keith.
5.) for revival among the churches of C.A.R. (over 350,000 believers) as Pastor Keith preaches to their National Conference.
6.) for the lost to be saved and the saved to be edified as Pastor Keith preaches at three churches in C.A.R.
7.) for the success of the pastoral leadership training that Pastor Keith will be doing in Bambari, C.A.R.
8.) for wisdom for Pastor Keith to identify one or more new men to be nationwide/continentwide leaders in Africa.
9.) for the training Pastor Keith will be doing for business and government leaders in Bangui, C.A.R.
10.) for the missionaries NBGBC supports there – Mboi Andre, Francois Ngoumape, and Augustan Hibaile – that Pastor Keith will be an encouragement to them.
ITINERARY
Jan. 08 Tuesday
· Depart Myerstown at 3 PM for Newark, NJ airport
· Depart Newark at 7:15 PM on Air France Flight #0019
Jan. 09 Wednesday
· Arrive Paris at 8:40 AM (2:40 AM, EST)
· Depart Paris at 10:55 PM on Air France Flight #0880
(4:55 PM, EST)
Jan. 10 Thursday
· Arrive Bangui, C.A.R. at 5:40 AM (11:40 PM – Jan. 09 EST)
· Depart airport immediately and travel by truck with Mboi Andre to Mbaiki (108 km) which is the site of the national conference
· Preach at the National Conference of GBC's in C.A.R. at 2 PM (8 AM, EST)
· Evening – counsel with pastors and leaders
· spend night at Mbaiki (rainforest)
Jan. 11 Friday
· Morning – counsel with pastors and leaders
· Mid-day – travel back to Bangui (truck)
· Evening – counsel with pastors and leaders
Jan. 12 Saturday
· Travel with Mboi Andre and team to Bambari (all day truck trip)
Jan. 13 Sunday
· Preach at the 1st Bambari GBC
· begin training (formation) of new pastors and evangelist in Bambari
(eastern C.A.R.)
Jan. 14-18 Monday – Friday
· continue training classes
Jan. 16 Wednesday
· Preach at the 2nd Bambari GBC
Jan. 19 Saturday
· return truck trip to Bangui
Jan. 20 Sunday
· Preach at the Ngou-Mboutou GBC in Bangui
Jan. 21-24 Monday – Thursday
· SALT training with Augustan Hibaile in Bangui(for key government and business leaders)
Jan. 24 Thursday
· Depart Bangui airport 11:05 PM (5:05 PM EST) on Air France Flight #0883
Jan. 25 Friday
· arrive Paris 5:45 AM (11:45 PM, Jan. 24, EST)
· depart Paris 1:15 PM (7:15 AM, EST) on Air France Flight #0018
· arrive Newark, NJ 3:40 PM
· arrive Myerstown @ 8:00 PM
Please pray . . .
1.) for the spiritual health and growth of New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church while Pastor Keith is gone (for ministries, attendance, offerings, and a great spirit of worship.)
2.) for Pastor Keith's family during the time of this project.
3.) for safe travel for Pastor Keith (see Itinerary).
4.) for physical health and strength for Pastor Keith.
5.) for revival among the churches of C.A.R. (over 350,000 believers) as Pastor Keith preaches to their National Conference.
6.) for the lost to be saved and the saved to be edified as Pastor Keith preaches at three churches in C.A.R.
7.) for the success of the pastoral leadership training that Pastor Keith will be doing in Bambari, C.A.R.
8.) for wisdom for Pastor Keith to identify one or more new men to be nationwide/continentwide leaders in Africa.
9.) for the training Pastor Keith will be doing for business and government leaders in Bangui, C.A.R.
10.) for the missionaries NBGBC supports there – Mboi Andre, Francois Ngoumape, and Augustan Hibaile – that Pastor Keith will be an encouragement to them.
ITINERARY
Jan. 08 Tuesday
· Depart Myerstown at 3 PM for Newark, NJ airport
· Depart Newark at 7:15 PM on Air France Flight #0019
Jan. 09 Wednesday
· Arrive Paris at 8:40 AM (2:40 AM, EST)
· Depart Paris at 10:55 PM on Air France Flight #0880
(4:55 PM, EST)
Jan. 10 Thursday
· Arrive Bangui, C.A.R. at 5:40 AM (11:40 PM – Jan. 09 EST)
· Depart airport immediately and travel by truck with Mboi Andre to Mbaiki (108 km) which is the site of the national conference
· Preach at the National Conference of GBC's in C.A.R. at 2 PM (8 AM, EST)
· Evening – counsel with pastors and leaders
· spend night at Mbaiki (rainforest)
Jan. 11 Friday
· Morning – counsel with pastors and leaders
· Mid-day – travel back to Bangui (truck)
· Evening – counsel with pastors and leaders
Jan. 12 Saturday
· Travel with Mboi Andre and team to Bambari (all day truck trip)
Jan. 13 Sunday
· Preach at the 1st Bambari GBC
· begin training (formation) of new pastors and evangelist in Bambari
(eastern C.A.R.)
Jan. 14-18 Monday – Friday
· continue training classes
Jan. 16 Wednesday
· Preach at the 2nd Bambari GBC
Jan. 19 Saturday
· return truck trip to Bangui
Jan. 20 Sunday
· Preach at the Ngou-Mboutou GBC in Bangui
Jan. 21-24 Monday – Thursday
· SALT training with Augustan Hibaile in Bangui(for key government and business leaders)
Jan. 24 Thursday
· Depart Bangui airport 11:05 PM (5:05 PM EST) on Air France Flight #0883
Jan. 25 Friday
· arrive Paris 5:45 AM (11:45 PM, Jan. 24, EST)
· depart Paris 1:15 PM (7:15 AM, EST) on Air France Flight #0018
· arrive Newark, NJ 3:40 PM
· arrive Myerstown @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Comments Appear!!
Readers may wish to recheck the 12/05/07 blog post on Israel and The Church (pt.2). Some new comments have appeared. They are worthwhile and I hope they are not ignored. Thanks to those participants for their contributions.
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