bibletoyou

Dear ones, your writer has been undergoing physical struggles which greatly reduce my ability to write this blog.  That grieves us, but we are still going on with weekly work in Bible To You at the home station, hoping others are following our footsteps for Jesus.

Dwayne, who is a friend and a former pastor, recently carried the BTY work to The Sword of the Lord conference in North Carolina. He set up our display and stayed with it to answer questions and give out free thumb drives of the lessons to those who planned to use the lessons in various ways.  One gentleman said he wished to use the junior lessons for his bus kids.  That’s a wonderful way to build some young people up in the Word!

We have not met with Dwayne to learn more about his time there.  After we do, we will endeavor to pass the good news on to you.  In the meantime, please carry on the work that God has given you.  Utilize Bible To You in any place and in any way that you are able.

Please contact us to let us know how you are using the lessons.  That would be a real encouragement to us as well as something we can pass on so others can follow in your footsteps for Jesus!

Fundamentalists hold to certain standards, but time and experience has shown that standards have weakened, wobbled and, in some cases, crashed!  So, the question is, are your standards from those who weakened, those who wobbled, those who crashed, or those of Christ???

While developing “Bible To You” lessons, the Lord called on us to write on living a new life in, of, and for the Lord Jesus Christ.  We loved the challenge of prayerfully searching God’s Word for the clear teaching of His standard of living.  What we found was that our God’s ways certainly are not many of our ways, not even the ways of many of us who preach and teach God’s Word on a regular basis!

How would you like to honor your Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit more freedom to work in and through you?  Several lessons, in particular, of  New Life Series will be of great value to you, if you work through them hungering and thirsting to be more like the Master.

The song, More like the Master, by Charles H. Gabriel, which is sung in many of our churches, is a cry to God that expresses a prayerful need that only the Word of God can fully satisfy. The first verse and chorus go as follows:

More like the Master I would ever be,
More of His meekness, more humility;
More zeal to labor, more courage to be true,
More consecration for work He bids me do.

• Refrain:
  Take Thou my heart, I would be Thine alone;
  Take Thou my heart, and make it all Thine own;
  Purge me from sin, O Lord, I now implore,
  Wash me and keep me Thine forevermore.

If you want to be more like the Master, or if you want those under your teaching to be more like the Master, we encourage you to utilize these lessons from the New Life Series: Lesson 2, Holy God, Holy People;  Lesson 3, Be An Example;  Lesson 6, Grieve Not The Holy Spirit Of God; Lesson 7, The Walk Of The Believer;  Lesson 8, The Work Of The Believer.

In closing, may Christ be greatly glorified through the teaching of His Word found in these lessons, as more of us become more like the Master! Amen

Hey there folks!  Hope you are all well, or at least feeling sustained by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!  Here’s a question for you,  Is it time for us to simply enjoy our comfort zone and leave off caring for the place we worship?   That is the same question God asked in  Haggai 1:4,  “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?”  What condition is your church building in?  Are you willing to do some things to work along with others and clean, paint, repair, or do outside work? 

Our people at Faith Baptist Church recently decided to update our building by painting the auditorium, the entryway, and the stairway to the basement, plus finish laying the carpet tiles in the basement.  It was amazing to see the couples from newlyweds to those married 55 years, and some children come together and work with a heart for the place we meet, the place we worship God, learn the Word, pray, sing, give praise to God, and invite others to hear the preaching of God’s Word. 

Here is another question for you, “Do you know what time it is?”  God’s inherent Word reminds us in Romans 13:11  “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” It is time to wake up spiritually and live a godly life, leading and teaching others. The harvest time is almost over!  This is reinforced in I Corinthians 7:29,  “But this I say, brethren, the time is short:”…! In I John 2:18 God assured us of an end of the church age by saying,  “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”   

It is the last time for spiritual harvesting by believers.  By the scriptures given above, we know that it is nearly time for our work here to be ended. The sad truth is that we may be responsible for allowing some to be lost eternally because we chose to shirk God’s work!  Jeremiah prophesied, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jeremiah 8:20

Things are Springing Up around here!  God has heard and answered our prayers for Bible To You to come more alive in our home place.  Nee Htoo has filled in the last three Bible Basics (Theology) lessons now, and has sent them back to us to be used as answer keys.

Next, we will put these together with the first six Bible Basics lesson that he did, and send copies of  them to Brother Taylor’s home base in Tennessee.  The workers there will be responsible to get them to Thailand where Brother Taylor is caring for the New Life Ministries, an orphanage.  He will then get the copies to a national missionary who did some of the original lesson translating in the Karen language.

Nee had already worked through our first series, Finding Direction in God’s Word, so that will also be sent for Brother Taylor’s missionary friend to use in discipleship of Karen Christians.

Another highlight for this time was when a letter came from a lady we had worked with but lost contact.  We knew she was growing in the Lord, so when she no longer responded we were very sad and worried for her.  We prayed earnestly for her for some time.  God got her back to us recently with a letter from her saying that she had been moved around and that she wanted very much to return to the Bible studies.  One of the ways God had cared for her during the blank time, was that He had her placed in her home State, closer to her family. We are praising God for this!

This week we received lessons from a person we did not send to initially. Their lesson was copied, possibly from the internet.  There was also a request in one lesson for us to send lesson one to someone in the Virgin Islands.

Now, as we (all Christians) think of the coming of Spring, we need to go forth planting new seeds, and pray earnestly for a good harvest.  Will you be moving out, planting new seeds?  We hope so; we pray so.

As we read the book of Leviticus, one may wonder, why do I need to read the book of Leviticus?  As born again believers we have no need to keep the Law, Jesus is our one true, complete sacrifice.

Let us consider some of the blessings gained while reading through the book of Leviticus.  Truths about our God shine forth within those pages, truths that must never be forgotten by His children!  God’s ways are not our ways; His Word is to be observed if we are to prosper.

In the book of Leviticus, God’s unending grace and  mercy are evident for He provides a way of atonement for all who will accept it.  He overflows with mercy upon His children, and instructs them to be merciful and tenderhearted toward each other as well as to strangers!  Within the pages of this book God’s complete purity is set forth before us;  His power is proclaimed!

Remember this from Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”   Finally, God said this in I Corinthians 10:1-11, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.  Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.  Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

That is why we read the book of Leviticus!

While preparing scriptures for our Bit of Home Chat, we settled on the following for a memory, or focus verse, and for verses to ponder. (Bits of Home Chat are one page letters to our students.  They contain some of the goings on here at home as well as at Faith Baptist Church.  We close out each Chat with scriptures that have a theme)

Memory, or focus verse:   For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.  Romans 15:4

Verses to ponder: I Corinthians 10:11; Luke 24: 12-27; Genesis 3:15; 22:18; 26:4; 49:10; Numbers 21:9; Deuteronomy 18:15; Psalms 16:9-10; 22:1-31; 132:11; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 40:10-11; 50:6; 53:1-12; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:14-15; Ezekial 34:23; 37:25; Daniel 9:24; Micah 7:20; Malachi 3:1; 4:2 (All of these scriptures put together the truth of the Saviour, the mighty God, who was, and is He who came, who ever lives!  This is the great hope that we have, and it is clarified all through the scriptures. The Old Testament is every bit as vital to us today as it was before the New Testament was penned.  Besides all of the prophetic scriptures of Christ, there are ensamples for our learning.

We usually do not give our students too many verses at a time, since they are already receiving their lesson to work on.  This time, however, we decided to pour on the coal, moving them through the Old Testament and into the New Testament prophecies and fulfillments of their Saviour.  It was our desire to use these scriptures to prove the continuing value of the Old Testament in the lives of people today!

Reading through these scriptures, Old and New, one’s whole being can be lifted up!  Their praise of God and His mighty works to the children of men, through His Son, throughout the ages, can be ignited or rekindled!  With these scriptures, they can also arm themselves against the lies of the devil, who denies that Jesus is the Christ!  Yes, the Old Testament truly is here for our learning!!!

This past week, we had three special blessings here at the home front.  First, a request came in from one of our Karen men to send a salvation lesson to his 19 year old son, which we did.  Please pray for this 19 year old to open his heart to the Lord Jesus and His salvation.

The second blessing was that God provided the funds for our brother in Christ, Gerald Miller, to purchase the RV and truck we offered to him for travel as he represents the FBN Christian Radio Ministry out of Morehead City. God miraculously provided the last of the funds needed just as time was running out for a safe winter trip to pick it up here in PA, and take it back to the Carolina’s!

The third blessing was this: Carl and I have been praying for God to help us to share  “Bible To You” discipleship lessons with others, even though we are more homebound.  God sent an evangelist along with Brother Miller. We shared the lessons and their many uses while he visited here, and he carried a thumb drive of the lessons home with him, where he can then use them, and also share their availability with others.  Praise God!

Dear ones, Life has been a challenge since entering the world of chemotherapy five months ago!  We are worn to a frazzle, and unable to rise far above it.  We desperately need help in the forward movement of this ministry!  Please pray for others to back us in the ministering of the Word through “Bible To You”.  I will not elaborate, but simply ask for your prayers of faith to raise up workers who will have the wisdom and the drive to do something more with the blessed work God started, through us, more than 25 years ago.

If God supplies the strength to return to this blog, we shall do so with joy!  In the meanwhile, we assure you that with what strength we have, we are still personally sending out lessons from our home to faithful students, writing a “Bits of Home Chat” every two weeks for them, being a witness in our personal lives, and being as faithful in church attendance as possible.

Whatever work God has given you is worth doing it with much prayer, sacrifice, and determination.  Through our weakness, we cry out to you, “Go forth, go forth, go forth in faith! Don’t faint, don’t turn around, don’t quit; GO FORTH!”

We apologize for taking so long to return to this blog. In the time that has passed, we have helped our church to remain true to the Word of God and to call a pastor who will do the same, with love for his sheep and a burden for lost souls and straying saints. If you wish to know more about our new pastor, or more about our ministry, please feel free to contact us.
We are seeing our country go through many devastating, natural disasters. Our personal lives are often challenged with various physical, and sometimes financial uncertainties. While it is true that hard times come and go, does that mean that we are without hope?; absolutely not! As I worked through writing “Bits of Home Chat” for our mail students today, I finished with a focus/memory verse. God led me to this verse that reveals the condition of a spiritually minded person whether he is struggling with difficult life circumstances or simply working through a fairly normal time.

Psalm 146:2 says “While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.” This man says he will sing praises to His God, who is our God as well, as long as he has any being! He has a close walk with God, and a full dependance on God, that naturally brings forth an exclamation of praise in song from his inner being.

Have you been able to praise the name of the Lord and to sing praises unto your God? If not, then you need to walk closer to your God, and have a full dependance on God, even to saying “Not my will, but thine be done”. How long can you praise the name of the Lord and to sing praises unto your God?; as long as you have any being! That is amazing and wonderful!

Are any of you who are actively serving the Lord tempted to quit because of sickness, financial hardships, or other trials have come your way? They have often come our way, and more so now that we are past our three score and ten! The work we all want to do for the Lord is hindered. Satan whispers, “Why don’t you just quit and let those who are stronger and better off take over? After all, you have worked long and hard. You shouldn’t have to do this!”

We have a better idea, why not do what we can, for as long as we can, letting God prosper the little we can do according to HIS power! Right now we are able to tell you, we are glad we didn’t quit!

Believe it or not, our two Burmese men from a US prison faithfully continue doing BTY lessons. The first man, Nei (not his correct name), did our “Finding Direction In God’s Word lessons; then he translated them into Burmese (Karen). Now Dea (not correct name) is doing those translated lessons through our office.

In the meanwhile a missionary from Thailand helped to get “Bible Basics” translated into the same language by a national Burmese preacher, so Nei is doing the “Bible Basics” series using the Burmese preacher’s translation and turning it into answer keys. When he sends one back to us we simply acknowledge that it was completed, copy it and save the copy for the man in Thailand who can then verify that it is correct and use it for his own work in Thailand and Burma. We cannot correct Nei’s and Dea’s Burmese lessons, but we know that they are definitely learning God’s Word and are growing spiritually as they take it in. Nei is trying to figure out how he can teach the other Burmese inmates using the translated work.

Is this all perfectly fine tuned and exactly as would be best? No, it could use some critiquing, but here’s the thing, God’s Word is getting through to men and women who may never have heard it before and had little hope of getting it behind bars in a US prison. And who knows what God will do in Thailand and Burma out of this humble beginning.

So, unless you absolutely have to quit serving the Lord actively, please don’t! Do what you can, for as long as you can, letting God prosper the little you can do according to HIS power!