October Newsletter

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15).

Pictures:

Julia and I at the Cleveland County Fair.

Julia feeding the animals at the fair.

The best part of the fair!

Julia perfecting her sewing abilities.

We attended a Carolina Panthers Game.

We went to the National Zoo in DC. It was a long day!

We spent a weekend at Liberty University.

Julia spent time with her sister.

We said good-bye to our care group from church.

Julia's dog is sad to see her leave.

Story:
Julia and I are grateful for the time we have been able to spend with family before leaving. But, I guess we felt the need to squeeze two years’ worth of calories into three weeks. I have gained so much weight, the scale is nearing “are you back in college weight” It’s almost shameful, really. Julia and I were reflecting on all our good times over the past three weeks and all our meals... like all of the casseroles we have eaten including poppy seed chicken, baked ziti, lasagna, and shrimp pasta. Our parents showed their love with a wide variety of meals including: chicken nuggets, homemade mac and cheese, fried okra, garlic mashed potatoes, bar-b-que, chili/onion hot dogs, wings, steak, mashed potatoes, and sausage biscuits. We have gorged on desserts; including, cookies and cream ice cream, frozen yogurt with all of the toppings, Chick-fil-a chocolate chip cookies, funnel cake, fried Oreos, Chick-fil-a brownies (they are better in the fridge), tiramisu and dessert pizza. And than there are the restaurants; La Carreta, Vinny's pizza, Potbelly subs, Chick fil-a (on multiple occasions), Sake's chicken and rice with yum yum sauce, IHOP, Mellow Mushroom, Red Lobster (all you can eat shrimp), Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut (2X).  And there was one final trip to Krispie Kreme for hot doughnuts. I mean, really, this could only happen in America. While I’ll miss all the grease and sweets, I can’t even think about missing out on all the times our families will gather around the table without us. But, it’s probably best for everyone’s cholesterol for us to leave, and I know it’s not the end of our button-popping meals together. 

Devotionals:

1. Lessons we have learned when saying goodbye
2. Psalm 96: The Missionary Psalm

Prayer Requests:

1) Julia and I leave for Africa on Monday, October 15th. We will fly out of Charlotte at 2:40 pm and we will arrive in Africa on October 16th at 4:00 pm. Please pray for safe travel. 

2) When we fly we will be checking seven bags. We have a lay-over in Washington DC as well as a layover in Belgium; these are two chances where are luggage could become lost. Pray that none of our luggage is lost and that all of our luggage arrives safely with us in Africa. Please pray no-one steals anything out of our luggage.

3) When we arrive in Africa we will have another month of training. This training is more hands-on and will focus on life in Africa.  We will spend 15 days learning about city life and 15 days learning about life in the village. The training will end with us living for three days in the village with an African family. Pray we would be focused and engaged while in training. Everyday we will have opportunities to share our faith, pray that God would use us to draw Africans to Himself.

  

4) Please pray that we would recover from jet lag (four hour time difference) and we would adapt to African culture. Pray we would labor hard among the Mamprussi people and that every time we open our mouth the Gospel would be proclaimed.

Serving Him,

The Welchs

The Missionary Psalm

Sing a new song to the LORD; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to Yahweh, praise His name; proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples.-Psalm 96:1-3

Psalm 96 should be re-named the missionary Psalm. The heart-beat of every missionary is summed up in Psalm 96.

Psalm 96 opens with a command to sing to the Lord. Humans aren't the only ones commanded to sing, rather, the whole earth is commanded to sing to the Lord. Rocks, trees, mountains, animals, etc. are all commanded to sing of the Lord's praises. In the early morning hours listen to the crickets chirping praises to God. When the wind blows through the trees, it blows praises to Him. The waves pound against the shoreline to the glory of God. The Earth rotates on its axis in worship to God. In the midst of creation's worship God desires to hear His creatures singing and worshiping Him. We are to sing to Yahweh and praise His name.

We are to proclaim His salvation from day to day. Everyday we should be taking time to share with others. We could share our testimony, a Gospel track, bible stories, the power of prayer, the list of possible ways to share is as long as our imagination and gifting. The command in verse 2a is tied to the command in verse 1 to sing His praise. If we believe God is worthy of the worship from all 7 billion individuals on this planet than we will make it a priority to proclaim His salvation. Imagine how our communities would change if we were to proclaim His salvation from day to day.

Finally, we are commanded to declare His glory among the Nations. We are commanded to share with the Nations about the mighty riches, honor, miracles and glory of God. Every other god is false and an idol. No-other god is worthy of the worship of 7 billion individuals on Earth, therefore, we go to share with others the glory of God. Pastor John Piper says, "missions exist because worship doesn't." People don't worship the God who made them, therefore, we go singing a new song to the Lord. People don't worship the God who made them, therefore, we go proclaiming His salvation from day to day. People don't worship the God who made them, therefore, we go to declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples.

For the LORD is great and is highly praised; He is feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.-Psalm 96:4-6

Last week we examined three commands from God found in verses 1-3. This week we are examining verses 4-6 and discovering three reasons why we should sing to the Lord, proclaim His salvation, and why we should declare His glory among the nations.

We should sing to the Lord because He is great and is highly praised. There is no other god in all the Nations as great as the God of Christianity. When we compare the God of Christianity to other god’s we notice a stark difference. For example, the followers of Islam live in fear of appeasing Allah, and never have assurance of salvation; in contrast, followers of Christianity honor and revere Jehovah and all those who have trusted in Christ are sealed by His Spirit, held in God’s hands and no one will pluck them out of His hands. The gods of Animism are ever-changing; in contrast, followers of Christianity understand that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He never changes. Hindus follow multiple gods and have to be reincarnated hundreds of times before reaching enlightenment; in contrast, followers of Christianity understand that God is the way, the truth, and the life no-one comes to the Father except through Jesus and to be absent from the body as a follower of Christ is to be present with the Lord.

We should proclaim the Lord’s salvation from day to day because all the gods of the people are idols. Idols are made by human hands; however, God has always existed and is truly autonomous. Idols have eyes but do not see; God’s eyes roam to-and fro over the whole Earth seeing all. Idols have hands that do not move; God’s hands knit us together in our mother’s womb. Idols have mouths but do not speak; God spoke the world into existence. All the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

We should declare God’s glory among the nations because to behold Him is to behold true splendor, majesty, strength, and beauty. God’s splendor refers to His magnificence, His brilliant or gorgeous appearance. We see a picture of God’s splendor in the Old Testament when Moses asked to see God’s face and God responds to Moses saying, “No-one can see my face and live.” God’s splendor is so magnificent that to behold it would kill us. God is majestic. His majesty refers to His kingship or His Lordship over the Earth. There is no-one like our God. God is strong. He spoke the world into existence and up-holds the world by His power. God is also beautiful. God puts His beauty on display in nature. God’s beauty is seen in the dazzling display of colors and designs put force in creation. God is worthy of worship from every tribe, language, tongue and nation.

In conclusion, why should we sing to the Lord, why should we proclaim His salvation, why should we declare His glory among the nations? The answer to these three questions is found in verses 4-6. We sing because He is great and is highly praised. We proclaim His salvation because the gods of the peoples are idols and we declare His glory among the nations because to behold God is to behold true splendor, majesty, strength, and beauty.

Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and enter His courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.-Psalm 96:7-9

Psalm 96:7-9 is a section of pure worship. Every family on the face of the Earth is commanded to ascribe worship to the Lord. We are to worship the Lord because of the glory of His name, His strength, and because of the splendor of His holiness.

We are to worship the Lord because of the glory of His name. God’s glory is how He puts His holiness on display for people to apprehend. The Bible tells us that the Heavens declare the glory of God. We observe God’s glory everyday in creation, in other words, everyday God is shouting at us from creation. He shouts at us through dazzling sun-sets and spectacular sun-rises. He shouts at us through the changing of the leaves in the fall. He shouts at us through the dazzling brightness of a fresh morning snow. He shouts at us through the budding of new life in the springtime and He shouts at us through the waves crashing against the shoreline in the summer. In the midst of every season He is shouting; I AM GLORIOUS! Worship me because of the glory of my name.

We are to worship the Lord because of His strength. God’s strength is seen in hundreds of different ways. One way God’s strength is seen in the Old Testament is through Israel’s conquest of other nations. In the OT when Israel would conquer a nation; it would be because Israel’s God was seen as superior to the god’s of the other nations. An example of this is found in the plagues which God brought upon the people of Egypt. Each of the ten plagues are an attack against an Egyptian god, and each plague showcases God’s strength. God affirms His strength over Egypt in Exodus 9:15, “By now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth.” God is stronger than the gods of the people; therefore, we should worship the Lord.

We are to worship the Lord because of the splendor of His holiness. God’s holiness refers to His separateness. If God were to reveal Himself, we would be on our face before Him trying to dig ourselves into the ground in order to avoid His holiness. No-one on their own can stand before a holy God and live. God’s holiness would consume us! God’s holiness not only refers to His separateness but also to His perfection. God is perfect. God cannot make a mistake, He doesn’t change His mind, can’t catch Him off guard, and He never sleeps. The prophet Isaiah tells us, “Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.” We are to worship the Lord because of the splendor of His holiness.

In conclusion, verses 7-9 are a command for all the families of the Earth to worship God. Unfortunately, millions upon millions upon millions of individuals do not worship the God who made them, therefore, we have an obligation to go and through God’s power and by His grace create worshipers of God from all the families of the Earth.

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.-Psalm 96:10-13

Psalm 96 ends with the promise that the LORD is coming and will one day come again. The Psalmist is prophesying Christ’s first and second coming. The original readers read the passage as foreshadowing the first coming of the Messiah, we now read the passage as foreshadowing the second coming. The Psalmist exhorts his readers to say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” All of creation waits with eager anticipation for the Lord’s return. The promise of the Lord’s return should spur us on to proclaim that the Lord reigns for two reasons…

1) We must proclaim that the Lord reigns because He is coming again to judge the Earth and those who do not know Him will spend eternity in Hell: Revelation 19 describes the Lord returning to Earth as a warrior. Jesus Christ will return to judge the nations and He will trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God the Almighty. Today is the day of salvation for the Nations, but, one day the opportunity to respond to the Gospel message will be over and Christ will return and cast all those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior into Hell. Hell is described throughout the Bible as a place of eternal torment and pain, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, completely devoid of hope. One day the Lord will return and cast those who have rejected Him into Hell. The reality of Hell and the immanence of the Lord’s return should spur us to respond as the late preacher Charles Spurgeon responded when he said, “if sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and un-prayed for.” The reality of the LORD’s return should spur us on to greater missionary involvement.

2) We must proclaim that the Lord reigns because He will not return until the whole world has heard about Him: Jesus says in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Jesus promises that He will not return until the whole world has heard about Him. There are 6,900 people groups (2.8 billion people) in the world who have little to no access to the Gospel. In other words, Christ second coming will not happen until these 6,900 people groups (2.8 billion people) have heard about His first coming. Our desire to meet the LORD should spur us on to take the Gospel to these unreached and unengaged people groups. One day a missionary in a remote tribe on the other side of the world will share the Gospel with the very last of the Lord’s elect and in that moment the trumpet will sound, the sky will break open, and we will be caught up into the air to meet the LORD! Our longing for that day spurs us on to greater missionary involvement.

In conclusion, our longing for the Lord’s return should spur us on to greater missionary involvement. Our desire to save people from the depths of Hell should cause us to allocate our resources to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. We must give of our time, resources and lives to proclaim to the nations that the Lord reigns!

The Missionary Psalm: 4 of 4

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.-Psalm 96:10-13

Psalm 96 ends with the promise that the LORD is coming and will one day come again. The Psalmist is prophesying Christ’s first and second coming. The original readers read the passage as foreshadowing the first coming of the Messiah, we now read the passage as foreshadowing the second coming. The Psalmist exhorts his readers to say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” All of creation waits with eager anticipation for the Lord’s return. The promise of the Lord’s return should spur us on to proclaim that the Lord reigns for two reasons…

1) We must proclaim that the Lord reigns because He is coming again to judge the Earth and those who do not know Him will spend eternity in Hell: Revelation 19 describes the Lord returning to Earth as a warrior. Jesus Christ will return to judge the nations and He will trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God the Almighty. Today is the day of salvation for the Nations, but, one day the opportunity to respond to the Gospel message will be over and Christ will return and cast all those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior into Hell. Hell is described throughout the Bible as a place of eternal torment and pain, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, completely devoid of hope. One day the Lord will return and cast those who have rejected Him into Hell. The reality of Hell and the immanence of the Lord’s return should spur us to respond as the late preacher Charles Spurgeon responded when he said, “if sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and un-prayed for.” The reality of the LORD’s return should spur us on to greater missionary involvement.

2) We must proclaim that the Lord reigns because He will not return until the whole world has heard about Him: Jesus says in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Jesus promises that He will not return until the whole world has heard about Him. There are 6,900 people groups (2.8 billion people) in the world who have little to no access to the Gospel. In other words, Christ second coming will not happen until these 6,900 people groups (2.8 billion people) have heard about His first coming. Our desire to meet the LORD should spur us on to take the Gospel to these unreached and unengaged people groups. One day a missionary in a remote tribe on the other side of the world will share the Gospel with the very last of the Lord’s elect and in that moment the trumpet will sound, the sky will break open, and we will be caught up into the air to meet the LORD! Our longing for that day spurs us on to greater missionary involvement.

In conclusion, our longing for the Lord’s return should spur us on to greater missionary involvement. Our desire to save people from the depths of Hell should cause us to allocate our resources to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. We must give of our time, resources and lives to proclaim to the nations that the Lord reigns!

Lessons Learned: Season of Goodbyes

Julia and I have found ourselves in a season of goodbyes. As many of you know we are moving to Africa for the next two years, therefore, we have been traveling the country saying goodbye. We have been saying good-bye to co-workers, employers, mentors, friends and family since June. This has not been a fun season; however, we have learned several lessons in regards to saying good-bye.

1) Goodbyes are difficult: God has blessed us with phenomenal relationships during our life. Individuals have poured into our lives to make us who we are today and it is very sad to have to say good-bye. One of most difficult goodbyes I have had to do so far was saying goodbye to my brother. I said goodbye to my brother during my sister’s wedding celebration. I realized half-way through the party that when I left it would be the last time I would see my brother for two years. I became very angry and short with everyone. (Needless, to say I don’t handle my emotions very well). Instead of staying and enjoying the celebration I became irritated and ready to hurry up and get the goodbye over with. Our goodbye lasted a sum total of 30 seconds, there was so much more I desired to say to my brother, however, I couldn't find the words. I quickly learned an important lesson; goodbyes aren't fun.

2) Goodbyes are awkward: Without fail every time we say goodbye to someone our goodbye is the most awkward time. Everyone stands around fighting back the tears, attempting to think of something deep and profound to say yet, nothing ever comes. I can remember saying goodbye to my sister in the living room of my parent’s house late at night. My sister was attempting not to cry, I was attempting not to cry. We both hugged, she said that she loved me; I mumbled half under my breath that I loved her as well, and turned and walked away. Once again there was so much more I desired to say, yet I couldn't find the words. I quickly learned another important lesson; goodbyes are awkward.

3) Goodbyes are hard: This season has been one of the hardest seasons of our lives. God has blessed Julia and I with a number of amazing people and it hurt to have to say goodbyes. It hurt to leave our small group in Wake Forest. It hurt to say goodbye to my grandparents realizing they might not be alive in two years. It broke our heart to say goodbye to our families. Goodbyes are hard and that’s OK. The fact that goodbyes have been hard is a sign of the deep and meaningful relationship we have formed with our family and friends. Our family and friends have poured into us and God has used them to mold and shape us. I can remember standing in a living room surrounded by my best friends from college and their wives as they prayed over us. While they were praying, I remembered staying up late in the dorm room and talking about theology and missions. I couldn't help but realize that all we had dreamed and discussed years prior in the dorm room was coming true. God had blessed me with Godly friends and I knew they would be praying for us while we were in Africa. I quickly learned another important lesson; goodbyes are hard and that’s OK.

4) Goodbyes are difficult, awkward and hard because God has made us for relationships: Everyone has been created in the image of God, one aspect of being created in the image of God is a desire for relationships. In other words, when God created each of us in our mother’s womb, He created us for relationships. We partially fulfill our desire for relationships with family and friends; however, we fully fulfill this desire when we are in a relationship with God. The Mamprusi people of Northern Ghana are looking for a relationship with God. The Mamprusi attempt to fulfill their desire for relationship with God through spirit and ancestor worship, unfortunately, their desire has not been filled. God is the ONLY one who is able to fulfill their desire. The Mamprusi do not know God nor do they know how to have a relationship with Him, therefore, Julia and I are enduring hard, awkward and difficult goodbyes in order to travel overseas and share with the Mamprusi about God. We are saying goodbye to family and friends here in America in order to travel overseas, live among the Mamprusi people, create new relationships, new friendships, new family members in order to share with them about God. God has created all of us for a relationship with Himself, and until the whole world hears we must continue to endure difficult, awkward and hard goodbyes in order to introduce people to God.

The Missionary Psalm: 3 of 4

Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and enter His courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.-Psalm 96:7-9

Psalm 96:7-9 is a section of pure worship. Every family on the face of the Earth is commanded to ascribe worship to the Lord. We are to worship the Lord because of the glory of His name, His strength, and because of the splendor of His holiness.

We are to worship the Lord because of the glory of His name. God’s glory is how He puts His holiness on display for people to apprehend. The Bible tells us that the Heavens declare the glory of God. We observe God’s glory everyday in creation, in other words, everyday God is shouting at us from creation. He shouts at us through dazzling sun-sets and spectacular sun-rises. He shouts at us through the changing of the leaves in the fall. He shouts at us through the dazzling brightness of a fresh morning snow. He shouts at us through the budding of new life in the springtime and He shouts at us through the waves crashing against the shoreline in the summer. In the midst of every season He is shouting; I AM GLORIOUS! Worship me because of the glory of my name.

We are to worship the Lord because of His strength. God’s strength is seen in hundreds of different ways. One way God’s strength is seen in the Old Testament is through Israel’s conquest of other nations. In the OT when Israel would conquer a nation; it would be because Israel’s God was seen as superior to the god’s of the other nations. An example of this is found in the plagues which God brought upon the people of Egypt. Each of the ten plagues are an attack against an Egyptian god, and each plague showcases God’s strength. God affirms His strength over Egypt in Exodus 9:15, “By now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth.” God is stronger than the gods of the people; therefore, we should worship the Lord.

We are to worship the Lord because of the splendor of His holiness. God’s holiness refers to His separateness. If God were to reveal Himself, we would be on our face before Him trying to dig ourselves into the ground in order to avoid His holiness. No-one on their own can stand before a holy God and live. God’s holiness would consume us! God’s holiness not only refers to His separateness but also to His perfection. God is perfect. God cannot make a mistake, He doesn’t change His mind, can’t catch Him off guard, and He never sleeps. The prophet Isaiah tells us, “Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.” We are to worship the Lord because of the splendor of His holiness.

In conclusion, verses 7-9 are a command for all the families of the Earth to worship God. Unfortunately, millions upon millions upon millions of individuals do not worship the God who made them, therefore, we have an obligation to go and through God’s power and by His grace create worshipers of God from all the families of the Earth.