What do Muslims Believe:

Do you know any Muslims? Have you seen a Muslim in America? Have you ever been watching the news and heard the news reporters talk about Muslims around the world and wonder what they believe? Did you know that 23% of the population claim to be Muslim and there are 2.6 millions Muslims in America? Christians are called to take the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone which includes Muslims. We are called to share the Gospel and pray for Muslims; to do this effectively we need to have a working knowledge of what Muslims believe. In this post I will attempt to walk you through the 5 pillars or the basic beliefs of Islam. Every Muslim varies in how they live out their faith; therefore, never hesitate to talk with your Muslim friends about their religion.

There are five things that a Muslim must do. Muslims call these duties the five pillars of Islam. A pillar is a strong pole or piece of wall which supports a house. A Muslim must do these five things in order to be a strong Muslim. If he stops doing them, he becomes weak in his religion.

Five pillars of Islam:*

1. Shahada: Say the Creed
2. Salat: Pray
3. Zakak: Give alms
4. Saum: Fast
5. Hajj: Do the pilgrimmage

Shahada: Say the Creed

The first religious duty is: Say the creed. The creed is called the shahada in Arabic. Muslims say this creed in Arabic. Here are the words in English. There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his messenger. There are many times Muslims say this creed. They say it quietly in the ear of a new baby. They say it near death. They say it at every prayer time. The Qu'ran says that the greatest sin a person can do is to say that there is more than one God (Qur'ran 4:48).

Salat: Pray

The second religious duty is: pray. I am sure you know Muslims pray. The Arabic word for these prayers is salat. Muslims always wash certain parts of their bodies before they pray. The house of worship for Muslims is called a mosque. At the entrance of the mosque there are often taps or drums of water. Muslims wash their face, hands, head, and feet before going into the Mosque. Muslims wash first to clean themselves so God will hear their prayers. Muslims bend their bodies when they pray to show respect, obedience, and submission to God. Muslims first stand to praise God. Then they bend with their hands on their knees. Then they bend all the way down so the forehead touches the ground. In this way their whole body is in submission to God. Finally they sit with their hands on legs and eyes down. Again they praise God and ask for his blessing. 

In the salat there are two kinds of words: 1) Praise to God. 2) Asking for God's blessing. The first words Muslims say when they stand are "Allah Akbar". These words mean, "God is greater." They say these words many times in prayer. The second words are asking for mercy for themselves and Muhammad's family. While Muslims stand they also repeat the first chapter of the Qur'an. This is called the Fatihah. Here are the first four lines: Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, The Kind, the Merciful, Owner of the day of judgment. We worship only you. We ask only you for help. When a Muslim finishes the Arabic words, he can speak to God in his own language. He can bring his own needs to God. This time of personal prayer is called du'a in Arabic. 

After the salat, some Muslims sit with a string of 99 beads. These beads help them remember the 99 names of God. Many Muslims think that if they repeat these names they will get special help from God. One name is Ar-rahim, or the Merciful. If someone repeats this name 100 times after each morning prayer, everyone will be friendly to him. Another name is Al-haqq, the Truth. Someone who repeats this name will find what he is lost. Not all Muslims use the names of God in this way. Different Muslims have different beliefs. Please take the time to talk with your Muslims friends about what they believe.

Zakat: Give alms to the poor

The third religious duty is give alms. To give alms is to give gifts to the poor. One kind of Muslim giving is the zakat. In Muslim law, Muslims should pay the zakat once a year. The amount depends on how rich a Muslim is. He must give one-tenth of his harvest and one-fortieth of his money and goods. The purpose of the alms is to collect from the rich and help the poor. The Qur'an tells who should receive the money. First, the alms are for the poor. Teachers of the Qur'an get some of it. Some of the zakat goes to those who collect it. Some goes to those in trouble because they have just become Muslims. Some of the money can be used to spread Islam. So it can be used to build mosques, fight holy wars, or start schools. The Qur'an says Muslims receive special rewards if they give for God's work. The man who give is like a person who plants one grain of corn. Each ear makes 100 grains (2:261). Also, giving alms cleanses a man from his sins (9:103). Alms which Muslims give once a year by law are called zakat.

There is another kind of alms called sadaqat. Muslims can give sadaqat at any time. They can give as much as they want. The Qur'an says that Muslims must give alms in the right way. They must do it with real kindness (2:264). They must give for God. They may tell someone what they have given. But if they do not tell and give to the really poor, that is better. God will reward them (2:227).

Saum: Fast

The fourth religious duty is to fast. Muslims can fast at almost any time. But there is a special month when all grown Muslims fast together. Muslim law says they must fast during this month. They must not eat or drink or sleep with their wives from sunrise to sunset. Muslims fast during this special month to learn self-control (2:183). There are times a man wants to eat or drink. But because he is fasting he controls himself and refuses. In Muslim belief, this helps a man be strong in keeping away from sin. If he controls himself and keeps away from food, he will learn to control himself and keep away from sin. Muslims believe that in the month of Ramadhan God revealed the Qur'an. Muslims spend much time repeating the Qur'an during this month. They believe that studying the Qur'an will help them keep away from evil. Muslims give other reasons for fasting also. The month for fasting unites all Muslims around the world. The rich and poor feel the same pain of hunger. While fasting, many Muslims repeat special prayers. God sent the Qur'an in one Night of Power. If a person repeats the Qur'an this night, God will forgive his sins.

Hajj: Make the pilgrimage

If a Muslim is healthy and has enough money, he must go to Mecca. Mecca is a very important place for Muslims. When they do their prayers, they must turn to Mecca. Muhammad started his preaching there. In Mecca Muslims visit the Kaaba. This is the most holy place for worship. Muslims believe that Adam and Eve first built the Kaaba. Later Abraham and his son repaired it. On one side of the Kaaba is the "Black Stone" which Muslims believe came down from God. They want to touch this stone to receive a special blessing from God. When Muslims visit the Kaaba, they all wear the same kind of simple white robes. They do this to show equality before God. Muslims go around the Kaaba seven times. They also visit a certain spring of water. They believe God made this for Hagar, wife of Abraham. They stand on Mount Arafat one whole afternoon. They pray and repeat verses from the Qur'an. They believe God will surely hear them at this holy time and place. At another place they throw stones at three pillars. They place this is where Satan tempted Abraham. Abraham drove Satan away with stones. If a Muslim makes the pilgrimage to Mecca his sins will be forgiven. Every Muslim desires to make the pilgrimage.

I have attempted to provide a brief overview of Islam. Please take time to befriend Muslims and talk with them about what they believe.

*Taking the Good News to Muslims pages 61-84

May Newsletter

Prayer moves the hand which moves the world.-Dr. Akin

STORY:

This month we had the privilege of hosting a naming ceremony for our daughter. Many people have asked us questions about the ceremony. Below is a list of the most common questions and answers. 

What is a naming ceremony?

A naming ceremony is a cultural custom in which a baby is given a name 4-8 weeks after he or she is born. There is a high infant mortality rate in Northern Ghana, therefore, babies are not given a name until the baby has lived outside of the womb for a number of days. Until a name is given a name the baby is known as stranger boy or stranger girl. The practice of waiting a number of days before naming the child helps the family from becoming too attached. Every religious and people group in Northern Ghana have their own customs in regards to a naming ceremony. 

Where did you conduct Piper's naming ceremony?

We hosted Piper's naming ceremony at the Outcast Camp of Gambaga. The camp is made up of women who have been accused of witchcraft.

Why did you do the naming ceremony at the Outcast Camp?

Julia and I have been working with the women for a year and a half. We go every week to share Bible stories and minister to the women. The 90 women at the camp have become a part of our family. Everyone wanted to give Piper a Maumprulli name. My Muslim friends were asking, tuberculosis patients, churches, and even random people on the streets. We wanted to give the honor/privilege of naming Piper to these women to encourage them and demonstrate our love and God's love for them. We wanted them to know through our actions that they have been created in the image of God; God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives. Conducting the naming ceremony at the camp provided us with opportunities to speak with individuals in town about fear, and the spirits. We were also able to deepen relationships with the women at the camp and develop new ones with a village chief. 

What is Piper's Maumprulli name?

Piper's Maumprulli name is Wunpeni which means God's gift. She is God's gift to us and the women at the camp.

PICTURES:

As soon as we arrived the women were waiting to take Piper and dance her into the ceremony.

Before the ceremony could start we had to visit the chief. He was honored that we would name our child in his kingdom. The women of the camp picked out the name but he was the first one to say it. Her Maumprulli name is Wunpeni which means God's gift.

The women took what little they had and blessed us with an abundance of gifts. We were humbled and honored by their generosity. 

Maumprusi love to dance. We hired drummers to play at the ceremony.

Dancing with some of my friends at the camp.

Julia and Piper also danced. They are better dancers than I am.

The women began cooking early in the morning to make all of the food for over 100 people. I was nervous we didn't have enough food. We had enough! Everyone was able to eat and leave full.

The meal consisted of Jolloff rice (oil, dried fish, and rice) and goat.

Can you spot Piper in this picture?

The head witch of the camp. She is carrying Piper into the ceremony.

Showing off my dance moves.

Piper posing with two of her friends.

Piper's Maumprulli name is Wunpeni which means God's gift. She is God's gift to us and the village of Gambaga. We are thankful for the privilege of being her parents.

Wunpeni wanted to wish everyone a very HAPPY EASTER!

Our goat which we purchased for the naming ceremony.

I can honestly say this was the first time in my life I purchased live food to slaughter and eat.

The rice and dried fish which would be used to feed the 90 women at the camp. 

Posing for pictures before the ceremony. Piper was finished with pictures.

DEVOTIONALS:
The Lion King, Frozen and Piper
An Open Letter to EVERY Christian

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) We have two months left in Nalerigu. Please pray we take advantage of our last days. Pray God open's doors to continue sharing the Gospel with my Muslim and Animistic friends.

2) The young man whom I am discipling will be leaving Nalerigu to attend school this month. Pray for a sweet time of fellowship as he prepares to leave. Pray the message which he has heard from me will be entrusted to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

3) The volunteer coordinator is vacationing in America this month. We will be taking on additional responsibilities while he is gone. Pray we are hospitable and welcoming to new volunteers. Pray we serve volunteers and they hear/see Christ in our words and actions.

4) Please continue to be in prayer for us as we search for jobs in the States. Pray God opens the door for us to continue in ministry. Pray for wisdom as we begin to plan our return to the States and speaking in churches.

Thank you for holding the rope and praying for us. We love you.

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs

Our Prayer In A Time Of Controversy

A prayer for when you are standing for truth:

Gracious Father,

Have mercy on your children in disputes. We are sorry for any root of pride or fear of man or lack of insight that influences our stance in thee controversy before us. We confess that we are not pure in ourselves. Even as we strive to persuade one another, we stand in need of a merciful Advocate. We are sinners. We are finite and fallible.

We take refuge in the glorious gospel of justification by faith alone through grace. We magnify Jesus Christ, our Savior and King, for all he has done to make us his own. We are a thankful people even in this conflict. We are broken and humble to think we would be loved and forgiven and accepted by an infinitely holy God.

Forbid, O Lord, that our spirit in this struggle would be one of hostility or ill will toward anyone. Deliver us from every form of debate that departs from love or diminishes truth. Grant, Father, as Francis Schaeffer pleaded, that our disagreements would prove to be golden opportunities to show the world how to love-not by avoiding conflicts, but by how we act in them.

Show us, O God, the relationship between doctrine and devotion, between truth and tenderness, between biblical faithfulness and biblical unity, between standing on the truth and standing together. Let none of us be unteachable or beyond correction. May the outcome of our disputes be clearer vision of your glory and grace and truth and wisdom and power and knowledge.

By your Spirit, grant that the result of all our arguments be deeper humility, more dependence on mercy, sweeter fellowship with Jesus, stronger love in our common life, more radical obedience to the commands of our King, more authentic worhship, and a greater readiness and eagerness to lay down our lives to finish the Great Commission.

In all this, Father, our passion is that you would be glorified through Jesus Christ. Amen.

By John Piper: Contending for our All 

Work it Out

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.-Philippians 2:12-13

I have been mediating on Philippians 2:12-13 in my quiet time these past two weeks and I wanted to share a few thoughts. 

To understand what Paul is talking about in Philippians 2:12-13 we must understand what he is NOT teaching. He is not teaching we obtain salvation through our works. He is not saying that Christ's death on the cross was only sufficient to make it possible to obtain salvation and through infant baptism and our hard work we will see Heaven. If he were teaching salvation by our works than he would undermine his own statements in Ephesians 2 & Philippians 3 as well as countless other places including Jesus's very own words. If he is NOT teaching salvation by works than what IS he teaching? When Paul uses the word salvation in this context he is referring to sanctification. The word salvation in this context means progressively coming to experience all of the aspects and blessings of knowing Christ. To put it another way salvation in this context means the process by which we are molded into the image of Christ. 

As Christians we are to be actively involved in our sanctification. There is much work to be done as a Christian. Depending on your age when you became a Christian there is a lot of bad theology, philosophy and practice which has been taught to you. As a Christian we must go to work renewing our mind, taking every thought captive and making WAR on our sin. We are not passive in our sanctification but active. We work out our salvation by being disciplined to read our Bible, pray, and evangelize. We work out our salvation through involvement in a local church; no longer sitting in a pew but rolling up our sleeves and becoming involved through service. We work out our salvation by allowing no unwholesome talk to come out of our mouth, we aren't involved in sexual immorality, we are kind and compassionate, forgiving one another just as God in Christ forgave us. We work out our salvation by making WAR on our sin. We go to war attacking those areas of our lives which we have surrendered to the enemy. Most Christian murmur about their imperfections and failings; we must no longer murmur but make WAR! John Owen said it best, "be killing sin or sin will be killing you."

If Philippians 2:12 was the only verse I meditated on it would be easy to become discouraged or puffed up. I shutter to think of the number of times I have failed to work out my salvation. I shutter to think of the number of times I have been passive in my sanctification and active in my sin. Thankfully, the chapter does not stop at verse 12, it continues to verse 13. For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. As Christians we must remember that beneath our working and willing is God's working and willing. God hasn't asked you to do anything which He hasn't given you the ability to accomplish! As Christians we rejoice in God's empowering presence; the Holy Spirit. At the moment of your salvation the Holy Spirit came to dwell within you and God imputed your unrighteousness to Christ and imputed Christ's righteousness to you. We now have the ability to say "NO" to sin, and "YES" to God. God gives to us the ability and the desire to read His word, spend time with Him, and serve others. Every desire to work out and be active in our sanctification comes from God and every desire to be lazy and  passive in our sanctification comes from us. I repeat, God hasn't asked you to do anything which He hasn't given you the ability to accomplish. In the end it's all about God. God saved you. God choose you. God pursued you. God regenerated you. God opened you eyes. God gave you His Spirit. God took out the heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh. God works in you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. God will not lose one of His elect. God will continue to mold you into the image of Christ until the day you stand before Him. 

In conclusion, we are to work out our salvation. We work out our salvation through bible study, prayer, making war on our sin, etc. In the midst of our working we understand and take heart that underneath our working is God's. We are encouraged knowing that God hasn't asked us to do anything which He hasn't given us the ability to accomplish. He who saved us by grace and not works will progressively mold us into the image of Christ by His grace and not our works.

Dogfight

After Julia gave birth to Piper, we received congratulations from friends and family. There were a number of people whom we would tell we had a baby and they would say, "Oh, you had a baby. Yeah, we just got a puppy." What? In no other situation would you compare a human to an animal and people would actually be okay with it. You could never say, "Oh, you just got married? Yeah, I used to have a pig. Does your new wife like to roll around in mud too? My pig loved that."

Of course, the dog-and-baby comparison is nothing new. Dog owners are sincere and mean no insult. their dog is their "baby". But, of course, a dog is not a baby. It's a dog. It's a good thing babies have no idea how often they are compared to dogs. I would think that would be pretty insulting to the babies. Let me be clear. I love all animals. I love to pet them. I love to eat them. I'm an all-around animal lover, but besides the drooling and whimpering, your dog is not that similar to a baby. Take the smells, for instance. Babies are two extremes on the spectrum of smell. They either smell like heaven filled with lollipops or like a microwave cesspool. The cleanest of clean dogs still smells like a dog. Allow me to list a few other differences.

1. Dogs come when you call their name.
2. The absence of birth control does not lead to pet ownership.
3. You don't have to worry about your dog ever becoming addicted to meth.
4. You do not have to save so your dog can go to college and then find out after they graduate that they want to be an actor.
5. If someone is pushing a baby in a stroller, they are probably a parent or a caregiver. If someone is pushing a dog in a stroller, they are probably insane.

In some ways a kid is easier than having a dog. When you go on vacation, you don't have to kennel your kids. You can stay in any hotel with your kids, and you don't have to hide them when room service comes. With children, you can look forward to a time when they eventually learn to feed and bathe themselves. If you give a dog a bar of soup and put it in the bathroom, it is going to eat the bar of soap. Dogs and kids are both affectionate, but dogs always have dog breath. Or soapy dog breath.

*Dad is fat by Jim Gaffigan

The Beauty and Blessings of the Christian Bedroom

"The Beauty and Blessings of the Christian Bedroom"*

Song of Solomon 4:1-5:1

I. Let it be a place of satisfying attractiveness. 4:1-7

1. Men: meet your wife's need for verbal support. 4:1,7
1. Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.
2. Women: meet your husband's need for visual stimulation. 4:1-6.
1. Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely, your cheeks are like halves of a pomegrante behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built in rows of stone; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that graze among the lilies.

II. Let it be a place of sensual anticipation. 4:8-11

1. Invite your mate to come to you. 4:8
1. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards.
2. Indicate how your mate captivates you. 4:9-11
1. You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips drip nectar, my bride; hone and milk are under your tongue; the fragrance of your garment is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

III. Let it be a place of specific availability. 4:12-15

1. God is pleased when we keep ourselves pure. 4:12
1. A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.
2. God is pleased when we give each other pleasure. 4:13-15
1. Your shoots are an orchard of pomegrantes with all choicest fruits, henna with nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all choice spices-a garden a fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.

IV. Let it be a place of spiritual affection. 4:16-5:1

1. Encourage your mate to make love with you. 4:16
1. Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow.
2. Encourage your mate after love with you. 5:1
1. I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. Others eat, friends, drink and be drunk with love!

V. Let it be a place of spiritual approval. 5:1

1. Sex in marriage enjoys divine approval
2. Spouses in marriage enjoy divine affection

*Notes taken from Dr. Danny Akin's outline on Song of Solomon given in January 2014.

The Lion King, Frozen and Piper

When I think about a Disney movie the Biblical concepts of humility, love, community, and selflessness do not immediately come to mind. Growing up one of my favorite Disney movies was The Lion King. You know the movie with all of the Swahili names, "Pride" Rock, catchy sing along tunes (you know you're singing one in your head), and Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa! One of the theme songs for "The Lion King" is "Hakuna Matata" which means "no worries" and one of the major themes of the movie is the idea that when you are younger you may avoid responsibility, live life to the fullest, and ONLY take responsibility when you are older. The theme of "The Lion King" quickly became a way of life for many in my generation.

Fast forward to April 2014 when my wife's sister came to visit us in Africa. She brought with her the Disney movie Frozen. Since the movie came out we have seen numerous posts on Facebook and Twitter telling us how awesome the movie is. It is a strange concept to be on the fringes of pop culture looking in and wonder about what everyone is talking about. At times I feel like I'm back in elementary school and everyone is talking about Scream (I know I'm old), but my parents won't let me see it. We were finally able to see Frozen and were not disappointed. The comedy and music were great; however, the themes of humility, love, community and selflessness were evident throughout the movie.

The concepts of love and selflessness which were evident when princess Anna gave her life in exchange for her sister's. The concept of the frozen heart or the fight which is in all of us to not freeze our hearts. The only way to fight the frozen nature of our hearts is through love, community and an act of true love. When we isolate ourselves and attempt to live independently our hearts freeze but when we serve others and live in community our hearts thaw and we exit the "eternal winter" to live in "eternal summer". Frozen is the movie which Disney has been trying to tell for ages and has finally succeeded.

I put Piper to bed after the movie and as I was laying her down I couldn't help but pray for her. I prayed that just as The Lion King helped shaped a generation towards laziness, selfishness, and pride. Frozen would shape Piper's generation to be one of selfless actions made out of love for others. I prayed that Piper would not freeze her heart to community but she would "let it go". She would let go of hate, anger, pride, selfishness, and embrace others through a life of living in community and serving others in selfless actions. She would come to understand like Elsa that the cold DOES bother us and the only way to fight it is with love and community. Not a romantic type of love or true love's kiss but love for others lived out through selfless actions. The world would be a better place if Piper's generation understood, embraced and lived out the themes of Frozen.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go watch it again.

Discouragement: the hidden reality of life on the field

On Saturday, April 5th I hit a wall of discouragement. Wave upon wave of discouragement were crashing around me. As water crashes against the shore so discouragement was crashing against my soul. I wanted to curl up into a ball in the corner of the room and cry myself to sleep. Julia and I were attempting to watch a movie but all I could think about was how much of a failure I was. I kept thinking, "I have failed." "I am the worst missionary." "I have failed." "God is not pleased with my work." "I have failed." 

My discouragement began while I was thinking back to training in Richmond a little over a year ago. While at training we heard incredible stories about what God was doing all over the world. We heard stories of church planting movements in which workers were being used of God to plant hundreds of churches, we heard stories of God healing the sick and using workers to share their faith with thousands of people. We left for the field excited to charge Hell with a water pistol. I naively, thought I would show up, open my mouth and hundreds would flock to Jesus. This has not been the case.

Julia and I do not have stories of thousands coming to the Lord or hundreds of churches being planted. We have a few stories of God saving souls but no where near the level of stories which would fill a book or be shared during training. My Muslim friends are still Muslim. The witches of Gambaga politely listen to my Bible story every week but after I leave they still go to the mosque or sacrifice to the spirits. The patients at tuberculosis baptist church worship God while He is healing them but they will stop worshiping God once they return to their home village. 

Our story is not one to fill a book or pack an auditorium with eager listeners. If I were honest our time on the field has been mainly spent sitting with nationals, listening and occasionally speaking. I have spent thousands of hours (no I'm not exaggerating) sitting, listening and occasionally speaking with Muslims, patients at the hospital, chaplains and pastors. Saturday night I was discouraged. Have I accomplished anything? Am I a failure?

The hidden reality of life overseas as a worker is that mass movements of people groups to Christ do not happen overnight. I have grown up with instant access to everything. Instant access to news, gossip, friends, television, etc. the real world; however, is not filled with instant success. Life on the field/life in ministry is not filled with instant success. Rather, success is measured in faithfulness. Am I faithful? Have I been faithful in language learning? Have I been faithful in sharing my faith? Have I been faithful going out? Have I been faithful in discipleship? If you are able to answer yes to these questions than you are successful.

The reality of life on the mission field is that most of us will not see mass numbers of people come to faith in Christ during our service. This reality does not get shared in training or published in books, newsletters and blogs. As workers we are not called to be successful in evangelism but rather to be faithful. The reality of work overseas is about dying to self, going out into the community everyday, listening and talking and providing a witness to the Gospel.

When we are faithful day in and day out we are like water which faithfully/constantly drips over rock for thousands of years and eventually creates a canyon. Our constant and consistent witness in the community is being used by God to prepare the soil for someone to come along after we leave and reap a harvest. 

We are thankful that God has called us here and allowed us NOT to see mass individuals come to Christ in order to learn that faithfulness is more important than success.

My Call to Ministry:

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:1, “This saying is trustworthy: If anyone desires to be a pastor, he desires a noble work.” God has been growing a desire within me to be a Pastor since He saved me in 2006.

After becoming a Christian I entered into a discipleship relationship with an older Christian in the community. One of the spiritual disciplines which he taught me was how to share my faith. I began sharing my faith with my unsaved friends and family members back home via Facebook. Facebook evangelism quickly progressed into face-to-face evangelism. We began going out on Friday night to downtown Lynchburg or Roanoke, Virginia to evangelize. Every Friday night I was downtown sharing my faith with businessmen, college students, homeless men, etc. God began to open my eyes to lostness in America. The summer of my sophomore year I traveled with Liberty University to the Amazon River. While on the Amazon God opened my eyes to overseas mission while I was sharing Bible stories in villages, providing basic medical care, playing soccer and hunting alligators.  

God continued to burden me with a desire to be a Pastor the summer of my junior year when I interned as a youth pastor in Penns Grove, New Jersey.  As a youth intern I learned how to plan and implement a youth group curriculum, how to organize youth functions, teach Sunday School, engage youth culture, equip the saints, and edify believers for the work of the ministry.

After college, I attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC my major at Southeastern was a Masters of Divinity in International Church Planting; I spent two years studying in a classroom in America and have spent the last two years serving as a 2 year missionary with the International Mission Board. During this time God has continued to increase my desire to serve Him in full time Christian ministry. God has increased my desire through training of local pastors, sharing my faith with Muslims and traditionalists and leading a Bible study for the five missionary families who live and work in Northern Ghana.

God has given me a desire to be in the ministry and I am excited to fulfill this desire.

Why is this issue different?

Author: Kevin Deyoung

Original Post: Why is this issue different?

I received an email yesterday afternoon to this effect: Could someone please give a short, simple explanation as to why the issue of homosexuality is not like Christians differing on baptism or the millennium? Many Christians are willing to say homosexuality is wrong, but they’d rather not argue about it. Why not broker an “agree to disagree” compromise? Why can’t we be “together for the gospel” despite our differing views on gay marriage? Why is this issue any different?

1. Approving of homosexual behavior violates the catholicity of the church. Sure, many in the West are arguing for the legitimacy of same-sex relationships, but for 99.9% of our history the church has considered homosexual behavior to be sinful. (And before anyone mentions slavery at this point I would encourage him to read Rodney Stark’s book For the Glory of God where he debunks the myth that the church was pro-slavery for 1800 years.) No one had to write a confession about homosexuality, because it was an implied status confessionis issue. No church would have tolerated a difference of opinion, let alone a deviant practice.

True, church tradition is not infallible. But when we make a decision (accepting homosexuality or tolerating those who do) that virtually every single Christian who has ever lived would consider unthinkable, we ought to pause and wonder if we’ve drunk too much from the spirit of the age. We would be wiser to listen to the testimony of our brothers and sisters in the two-thirds world who know that homosexuality is not an agree-to-disagree kind of issue.

2. Homosexual behavior is so repeatedly and clearly forbidden in Scripture that to encourage homosexuality calls into question the role of Scripture in the life of the denomination that accepts such blatantly unbiblical teaching. The order of creation informs us that God’s plan for sexuality is one woman and one man (Genesis 2). This order is reaffirmed by Jesus (Matthew 19) and Paul (Ephesians 5). The Old Testament law forbade homosexual behavior (Leviticus 18, 20). Paul reiterates this prohibition by using the same Greek construction in 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1. Paul condemns same sex behavior (among many other sins) in Romans 1. Jude in his epistle links sexual immorality and the “unnatural desire” present in Sodom and Gomorrah.

The evidence is so overwhelming that Luke Timothy Johnson, New Testament scholar and advocate of legitimizing homosexual behavior, argues rather candidly: “I think it important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to another authority when we declare that same-sex unions can be holy and good. And what exactly is that authority? We appeal explicitly to the weight of our own experience and the experience thousands of others have witnessed to, which tells us that to claim our own sexual orientation is in fact to accept the way in which God has created us.” At its root, support for homosexual behavior is not simply a different interpretation of Scripture; it is a rejection of Scripture itself.

3. Far from treating sexual deviance as a lesser “ethical issue”, the New Testament sees it as a matter for discipline (1 Corinthians 5), separation (2 Corinthians 6:12-20), and an example of perverse compromise (Jude 3-16).

4. Most importantly, commending homosexuality involves the core of the gospel because it urges us to celebrate a behavior of which the Bible calls us to repent. According to 1 Corinthians 6 unrepentant homosexuals (along with unrepentant thieves, drunkards, idolaters, adulterers, revilers, swindlers, and money-lovers) will not inherit the kingdom of God. Heaven and hell literally hang in the balance.

Of course, homosexuality isn’t the only sin in the world. But I know of no Christian leader or Christian community promoting theft or championing idolatry as a special blessing from God. It is not an overstatement to say solemnizing same-sex intercourse is in danger of leading people to hell. The same is not true when it comes to sorting out the millennium.  In tolerating the doctrine which affirms homosexual behavior, we are tolerating a doctrine which leads people farther from God, not closer. This is not the mission Jesus gave us when he told us to teach the nations all that he has commanded.

In short, those who pervert the grace of God into a license for sensuality are false teachers who do not preach the gospel rightly (Jude 4; Titus 2:11-15). A true church does not encourage people in deliberate sin when it ought to call them to repentance.

Philosophy of Ministry

My philosophy of ministry can be broken down into three words. I seek to edify, equip and engage:

Edify: As a man who has been called by God to love and serve Him, I recognize that my primary job is to expound the Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” As a teacher of God’s word; I will work hard to be a shepherd who takes care of the sheep. To those who need correcting, I will correct. To those who need teaching, I will teach. To those who need training in righteousness, I will train. To those who need Jesus, I will show and share Christ.

Equip: I must equip the saints for the work of the ministry. 2 Timothy 2:2 states, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Ministry is about multiplication. As a pastor it is my responsibility to invest in faithful men who will be able to teach others. I will do this by mentoring a group of young men who appear faithful. I will develop relationships by meeting regularly, and taking the men I am mentoring with me as I travel and do ministry. I will also always be on the look-out for other faithful men I may pour into.

Engage: I must always be seeking to engage the culture with the Gospel. Paul models engaging the culture with the Gospel throughout the Book of Acts but specifically in Acts 17 on Mars Hill. Paul teaches us that the message must always remain the same but the method can change based on our audience. As a minister of the Gospel I must seek to communicate the message effectively. I must strive to understand the worldview, cognitive process, linguistic forms, behavioral patterns, social structure, media, and motivation of my audience to engage them with the Gospel. I must take seriously the message and those whom I am sharing the message to.

April Newsletter

Persistent calling upon the Lord breaks through every stronghold of the devil, nothing is impossible with God!-Jim Cymbala

STORY:
Nalerigu (where Julia and I live) is a bustling metropolis of 7-10,000 people. Individuals have moved to Nalerigu from surrounding villages because of the hospital and hope of employment. The surrounding villages are much smaller than Nalerigu. This month's newsletter focuses on village life in Northern Ghana. The pictures taken are from a small village (population 150) located twenty minutes from Nalerigu.

Village life in Ghana is a slow paced life revolving around agriculture. There are three seasons: planting, harvesting, and resting. On average, farms are 2 acres and families grow corn, beans, and yams. Most families live on less than $2 USD per day. Marriages are polygamous. Husbands typically have four wives. More wives ensures more children which ensures more hands working on the farm. Women and children are viewed as second class citizens. Children attend school until the age of 12 at which time boys join their father in the fields and girls join their mothers in the home or selling in market. There is no electricity; families wake at 4:00 am for morning sacrifices or Muslim prayers and go into their family compounds when the sunsets around 6:00 pm. Everyone is spiritual. Everyone lives in fear of the spirits; a typical day is filled with hours of thinking how to appease the spirits to ensure they provide a good crop, good health, and more children. The farther away you go from Nalerigu the more likely it is the villagers have never seen a white person. The children will run and scream when they see my white skin. Many will attempt to rub the "white paint" off my skin while I am talking.

God is at work in the villages of Northern Ghana. The villages are rural and tough to reach; however, the people are open to the Gospel and hospitable to strangers. God is at work drawing people to Himself in the bustling metropolises and in the villages.

PICTURES:

A Piper montage.

Shot Day!!!

This is Sliding Rock. Sliding Rock is located 20 minutes outside of Nalerigu. As the name implies you climb to the top and slide down. We have sliding rocks in America but most are surrounded by water; not a corn field!

Everyone preparing to climb.

Children from the village. They were able to scamper up the rock without any help.

I struggled up the rock;

but have no fear I made it!

What you lookin at?

Julia and Piper were so strong they were able to hold the rock up while we played.

During dry season most villages look barren as the fields await the rains and next years crops to be planted.

Typical family compound; surrounded by the African plain. 

Time to pose for a picture

Children love to pose for pictures.

Sharing a Bible story in Maumprulli with the children from the village. They weren't quite sure what to think about a white man speaking their language.

Children heading home after a long day of playing on sliding rock

Mom? Another picture?

Those eyes are going to break some poor boys heart

Diva baby

Presenting the chief of the village a present after he allowed us to come into his village. Village chiefs run their local village and make decisions which affect the entire community.

How we play during hot season.

DEVOTION:
What happens to babies who die in infancy?
The Heart of a Man: Principles from Nehemiah

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) Julia's sister and cousin are coming to visit April 10-16th. We are very excited to spend time with them and introduce them to our home. We have a busy and fun schedule planned. Please pray they have a safe flight and arrive safely in Tamale with every piece of luggage which they left with. Pray we have a sweet time of fun and fellowship while they are here.

2) A custom which is important in Ghana is called a "Naming Ceremony". Infant mortality rate is high; therefore, children do not receive a name at birth. Parents wait a few weeks to see if the child will live and after the child has proven he/she will live a naming ceremony is conducted. A naming ceremony is a great honor for the parents, host of the ceremony, and child. Piper will be receiving her Ghanaian name on April 15th. The witches of Gambaga will have the privilege of naming Piper. Please be in prayer for Piper's naming ceremony. Pray her naming ceremony goes well and she is well behaved during the day long celebration. Pray we use the ceremony to speak/demonstrate to the women God's love.

3) We have purchased our plane tickets for our return to America. We will be back in America on July 2nd!!! We are excited to eat a hot dog and watch fireworks on the 4th. Pray we make much of Christ in our last months. Pray we equip Nationals to carry-on our ministries after we leave. Pray I find a job before returning to the States.

4) April 20th is Easter Sunday. The weeks leading up to Easter are filled with Gospel moments. Pray we take advantage of Gospel moments. Pray we are bold in evangelism using every opportunity to share the message of life.

5) I am discipling a young man on how to start and strengthen new churches and share his faith with Muslims. His heart is breaking for his unsaved family members and people in his village. Pray God lights a fire under him to take the Gospel to his family. Pray he develops into a Godly husband, father, and employee. Pray he catches a vision for church planting and plants a church in his village.

PRAISE:
I have been taking the INH treatment for my exposure to tuberculosis everyday for the past two months and have had no complications. Everything appears to be working. Seven more months of this treatment and everything will be fine. Thank you for praying for us throughout this issue.

Thank you for holding the rope for us!

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs