Attributes of Antichrist – 10.30.09

Bro. James brought a very interesting lesson last night on the person of the antichrist (click here to listen). Amidst the solid Bible teaching and the many reasons why it's NOT Barack Obama, there was a very practical note that really stuck out to me. Thought I'd pass it along.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The Bible teaches that the beast, in following the footsteps of his father (Isaiah 14), will EXALT HIMSELF. What 2 Thessalonians 2:4 teaches us is self-exaltation equals self-opposition.

The verse does not say that by exalting himself he opposes God. The verse says that he opposeth AND exalteth HIMSELF. By exalting himself he opposes himself.

Now, the reason that self-exaltation is also self-opposition is found in Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Compare the antichrist to the true Christ. Throughout the Bible we read of how the antichrist promotes and exalts and worships himself. And we also read of his ultimate end and how he will be DESTROYED by the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Daniel 7:8-10 …behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him…

Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

On the other hand our Savior humbled himself and became obedient unto death…Philippians 2:9-10 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Let THIS MIND be in you. Don't fall into the devil's snare of opposing yourself (2 Timothy 2:25-26). Humble yourself. Exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Live for others. Either that, or manifest the attributes of antichrist.

Ecclesiastes 7:17 – 10.26.09

Here's one that I didn't preach but had ready just in case…

Ecclesiastes 7:17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

1. Every man has an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27; Romans 5:12).

2. Nobody knows when that appointment is.

3. The timing of that appointment is ultimately up to God (Ecclesiastes 8:8; Revelation 9:6).

4. There are some things one can do that can have an effect on the timing of that appointment (Ecclesiastes 7:17; Psalm 55:23; Proverbs 11:19).

I. OBEY AND HONOR YOUR PARENTS – Ephesians 6:1-3

A. Obey (your actions)

1. To comply with the orders or instructions of a superior; to do that which is commanded or required and to forbear doing that which is prohibited; to submit to the government of; to be ruled by; to submit to the direction or control of authority.

2. It is the duty of your parents, preacher, teacher, etc. to tell you what to do. It is your duty to obey.

B. Honor (your attitude)

1. To revere; to respect; to treat with deference and submission, and perform relative duties to; to reverence; to manifest the highest veneration for; to entertain the most exalted thoughts of; to dignify; to raise to distinction or notice; to elevate in rank or station; to exalt

2. God requires both obedience and honor.

3. Rebellion will get you nowhere but an early grave.

II. FEAR GOD – Proverbs 3:1-2; Proverbs 3:13-16; Proverbs 9:10-11; Proverbs 10:27

1. It is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience.

2. It is a RESPECT for God's holiness and a RECOGNITION of His judgment that RESULTS in my desire to please Him, which leads to length of days.

III. HATE COVETOUSNESS – Proverbs 28:16

A. It is an inordinate desire for the possessions of another (Exodus 20:17). It is making a god out of stuff (Colossians 3:5).

B. We must beware that we're not deceived into thinking this life is all about the pursuit of stuff – or that it will make us happy (Luke 12:15).

C. Covetousness stems from a heart that is not satisfied with God's provision (Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Play the Men – 10.23.09

The children of Ammon saw that they stank before David b/c of what they had done to his servants (see the opening of chapter 10) so they hired 33,000 men to fight against Israel. Joab goes out to battle and finds himself surrounded by a strong and valiant enemy. Not sure if he has what it takes to defeat them, he divides the host with Abishai…

2 Samuel 10:11-12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

… and it seemed good to the Lord to grant the Israelites the victory.

As Christian men, we must recognize that we are in a real battle with a real enemy; that there is much at stake (Ephesians 6:10-12; 1 Peter 5:8) and that we have a duty to our God, to our families, and to our churches. And in order to stand firm in this fight, there are times when we will have to take courage and PLAY THE MEN.

I. FROM THE BIBLE, WHAT "A MAN" IS SUPPOSED TO BE/DO

A. A hard worker who provides for the needs of His family

1. Work is not a part of the curse. God gave man a job to do in the garden (Genesis 2:15).

2. Hard labor was made a part of the curse for man's benefit (Genesis 3:17-19). A man is not afraid to break a sweat, get his hands dirty, and go out and break his back to put food on the table (Psalm 104:23).

3. Nothing worth having comes in the absence of hard work. It is good to work with one's hands (Ephesians 4:28). In all labor there is profit (Proverbs 14:23).

4. A man that won't work and provide for his family is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8) and is not fit to be in fellowship with God's people (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).

B. Protect, nurture, and love his family

1. A real man is a gentleman. He loves his wife and isn't ashamed to admit it or to show it. He follows Christ's example in giving of himself for her (Ephesians 5:25-33).

2. He treats her with honor as the weaker vessel (1 Peter 3:7).

3. He diligently strives to please his wife (1 Corinthians 7:33).

4. He doesn't leave the child rearing completely to the wife, but takes an active role in the raising and disciplining of children (Ephesians 6:4).

C. Leads his family

1. Being the head of the home does not mean that the man is superior to the man anymore than Christ's submission to the Father makes Him inferior to the Father (1 Corinthians 11:3).

2. It does mean that he is ultimately responsible for the spiritual, physical, emotional welfare of his family and will give account to God for his handling of that responsibility (Hebrews 11:17).

3. A man should be willing to make the final decision in a given matter and must take initiative to lead his family in the right direction.

II. WHY IT WILL TAKE A REAL MAN TO SERVE GOD

A. To do right despite the inevitable opposition

1. Self-denial is essential in following Christ (Luke 9:23; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27)

2. We are commanded to endure hardness (2 Timothy 2:3)

3. We are promised persecution (2 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 5:11-12)

B. To focus on what's truly important

1. Too many men don't do what they're supposed to do because they're too distracted with toys, hobbies, games, sins, the pursuit of material wealth, etc.

2. A real man will establish the proper priorities in his life (2 Timothy 2:4; Matthew 6:33).

C. To keep doing right no matter what

1. Men don't quit (1 Corinthians 16:13).

2. God is searching for a man to stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30).

Henry Varley once said, "The world has yet to see what god will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is full and wholly consecrated to Him."

When DL Moody heard that, he answered in his heart, "By the grace of God, I will be that man."

What It Means To Be A Christian – 10.21.09

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

I. A BELIEVER ON JESUS CHRIST

Acts 11:21 – These people had turned from all else and believed on Jesus Christ ALONE for the salvation of their soul

A. Someone who denies the deity of Christ is not a Christian (1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7-11)

B. Someone who is trusting their works – on any level – is not a Christian (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Romans 3:19-28; Galatians 2:21)

II. A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST

Acts 11:26 – They were called Christians. The fact that they believed on Jesus Christ was evident in their day to day lives (assembling, learning the scriptures, exhorting one another, preaching the word (vv. 19-26).

One cannot be a Christian without being saved, but one can be saved without being a Christian. A Christian is a saved person who lives like it.

This is what the world needs. There are enough religious people who claim to be Christians and aren't. And there are enough saved people who claim the name of Christ but bear no resemblance to their Heavenly Father.

Galatians 1:4 – The Bible never says that Jesus came to save me from hell. The Bible says Jesus came to save me from my sin, so I could be delivered from this present evil world. Missing hell and gaining heaven is a glorious blessing that's included.

Ephesians 2:8-10 – I am not saved by my works, but I am saved in order to do good works. Religion gets this backward. Religion says grace > good works > salvation. The Bible says grace > salvation > good works.

Titus 2:11-14 – Again, the grace of God means I have a blessed hope of entering heaven, but in the meantime it teaches me to live right. Jesus Christ gave himself to redeem us from iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

2 Timothy 1:19-22 – Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ (Christian) depart from iniquity. Why did the angel tell Mary to call His name Jesus? "For he shall save his people FROM THEIR SINS" (Matthew 1:21). A Christian must depart from iniquity / flee youthful lusts AND follow after righteousness. Because righteousness is elusive (I have not attained so I press toward the mark, Philippians 3:12-14) and iniquity is in pursuit of me. If I'm standing still, I'm losing ground. I am not a Christian.

Purpose In Your Heart – 10.19.09

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel was an intelligent, talented, attractive young man who was taken away from his parents, his people, and his temple by a nation who gave him a new name, taught him a new language, and placed him in the court of a heathen king. Yet he stayed clean and pure and true to God throughout his entire life because early in his life he made a decision not to defile himself.

Likewise, if we are going to be blameless and harmless as the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom we shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15), we must recognize that is not going to happen by accident or default. If we want to be used of God (2 Timothy 2:19-22), we must purpose in our hearts not to defile ourselves with…

I. Sexual immorality

Hebrews 13:4

God created marriage and is the designer of the blessings that go with it (i.e. the physical relationship between a husband wife, Genesis 1:28). But He has established some very definite boundaries in which that relationship can be enjoyed – one husband and one wife committed to each other for their entire lives – and gives a sure and certain promise of judgment to any who step outside of those boundaries in any way.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

To step outside of the boundaries God has established is to sin against one's own body. Again, if you get involved with something God has said to save for marriage, you're only going to get hurt. So FLEE fornication. The best way to keep from falling off a cliff is to stay away from the edge. The devil would have you get as close to the edge as possible, telling you all the while that you'll never "go too far," and all so he can push you off and laugh when you crash on the jagged rocks below.

1 Corinthians 7:1-2

God's idea for making sure that you keep yourself pure is HANDS OFF.

Romans 13:14

Make no provision for the flesh. Don't pack a lunch for lust. You CAN'T handle the temptation. If you think you can, that just proves how close you are to falling over the edge of that cliff (1 Corinthians 10:12).

II. Alcohol

Proverbs 20:1

You're stupid ("not wise") if you think drinking is cool. You're stupid ("not wise") if you think one drink won't hurt. You're stupid ("not wise") if you think it's OK as long as you don't get drunk. The devil laughs at your ignorance.

Proverbs 23:29-32

It's pretty hard to drink something you're not even supposed to look at. But everybody's doing it…it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder. But they'll make fun of me if I don't…it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder. But I know when to stop…it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder.

III. Music

1 Corinthians 15:33

Music is a powerful thing, and you're deceived by the devil if you think the music you listen to doesn't have a major effect on your life.

Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16

A Christian has no business listening to anything but music that glorifies God and encourages him/her to do what's right. A Christian has no business singing anything but music that glorifies God and encourages him/her to do what's right.

IV. Money

1 Timothy 6:9-10

Money is not the root of all evil – it's necessary for love. But if you LOVE money, if you make it your goal in life to get rich, then here's what you have to look forward to: temptations; snares; foolish and hurtful lusts; drowning in destruction and perdition; piercing yourself through with many sorrows.

Riches are uncertain (1 Timothy 6:17). They make themselves wings and fly away as an eagle toward heaven (Proverbs 23:5). So labor not to be rich (Proverbs 23:4). The richest man in the world said it was empty and meaningless (Proverbs 30:8-9; Ecclesiastes).

Life isn't about what you can get (Luke 12:15). It's about God and the people He puts in your life and relationships and memories and making a difference in eternity. So invest your time and effort into those things – not making another dollar – because godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

So work hard and provide for yourself. Work hard and provide for your family. If God gives you riches then praise Him for it and use that money for Him. But don't be deceived and defiled by the love of money.

It's important that you make up your mind about these things ahead of time. Daniel would have never survived in Babylon had he not purposed in his heart from the outset that he would not allow himself to be defiled.

Finding God’s Will – 10.16.09

Ephesians 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Romans 12:1-2 – KNOW the will of God

Ephesians 5:17 – UNDERSTAND the will of God

Ephesians 6:6 – DO the will of God

The will of God is a mystery, but it has been revealed. God not only wants us to know it, He commands us to know it. So how do we go about it?

I. Do what the Bible says.

There are many things clearly stated in the Bible as being "God's will." Here are a few:

A. Get saved – or get involved in getting others saved (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; John 6:39-40).

B. Get sanctified and learn to control your lusts (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4).

C. Submit to the authority God has placed in your life (1 Peter 2:13-16).

D. Learn to suffer for doing right and keep going (1 Peter 4:12-19).

E. Spend time with God's people (Romans 15:32; Hebrews 10:25).

F. Develop a thankful spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It's a choice.

II. Learn to apply biblical principles.

A. God's word does not directly address every situation or issue we face in life. But God's word contains the principles we need to guide and direct our decision making (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 6:23).

B. This is what WISDOM is all about, and God calls it the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7).

C. We are commanded to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly IN ALL WISDOM (Colossians 3:16).

III. Trust God – Proverbs 3:5-7

IV. Learn patience – Hebrews 10:36

Many are too concerned with FINDING the will of God for their lives and not concerned enough about DOING the will of God as it's already revealed in His word. If you are doing what God has told you to do, God has promised to provide direction and blessing. It might be on His timetable instead of yours, so don't give up. Just keep doing right. God never fails on His promise.

An additional thought that was not included in the message is that if you're saved and have a desire to live for God and serve God and reach others and you have something that you want to do for God, but you're not sure if you should, don't be afraid to go for it. If you're not violating the word of God, don't waste your time trying to figure out if you're called, just do what's on your heart and let God call you back if He wants (Acts 16:6-10).

2 Important Questions – 10.14.09

Acts 9:5-6 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

• If you could talk to God tonight, what questions would you ask Him?
• Paul asked the 2 most important questions a man could ever ask of God.

I. WHO ART THOU, LORD?

• Paul wanted to know God (Philippians 3:7-10)

A. You can know about God by reading the Bible (1 Samuel 3:21)

1. Who He is

a. The CREATOR (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17)

b. The SAVIOR (Isaiah 43:11; Matthew 1:21; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 John 4:14)

c. The JUDGE (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 50:6; Acts 17:30-31)

2. What He is like

a. HOLY, harmless, separate from sinners (Hebrews 7:26)

b. GOOD to all (Psalm 145:9)

c. JUST and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus (Romans 3:26)

d. FULL OF COMPASSION, gracious, longsuffering, plenteous in mercy and truth (Psalm 86:15)

e. God is LOVE (1 John 4:8), and He's a CONSUMING FIRE (Hebrews 12:29)

f. the SAME yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

3. What He is called (just to name a few)

ALMIGHTY GOD (Genesis 17:1); THE ALPHA & OMEGA (Revelation 1:8), THE ANCIENT OF DAYS (Daniel 7:9); THE AMEN (Revelation 3:14); THE COMFORTER (John 14:26); THE COUNSELOR (Isaiah 9:6); THE CREATOR (1 Peter 4:9); THE EVERLASTING FATHER (Isaiah 9:6); EMMANUEL (Matthew 1:23); THE FAITHFUL & TRUE WITNESS (Revelation 19:11); HEAVENLY FATHER (Matthew 6:9); THE GOOD SHEPHERD (John 10:11); THE GREAT SHEPHERD (Hebrews 13:20); my GREAT HIGH PRIEST (Hebrews 4:14); HOLY (Isaiah 57:15); my HELPER (Hebrews 13:6); my HOPE (1 Timothy 1:1); THE I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14); JEALOUS (Exodus 34:14); JEHOVAH (Psalm 83:18); THE JUST (Acts 3:14); THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:11); THE LAMB OF GOD WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD (John 1:29); THE LAWGIVER (Isaiah 33:22); THE LIGHT (John 1:9); THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (Revelation 5:5); THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:6); our MAKER (Psalm 75:6); our MASTER (John 13:13); our MEDIATOR (1 Timothy 2:5); our MESSIAH (Daniel 9:25); THE PRINCE OF PEACE (Isaiah 9:6); the REDEEMER (John 19:26); the ROCK (1 Corinthian 10:4); the STAR (Numbers 24:17); the SCEPTER (Numbers 24:17); the SERVANT (Isaiah 42:1); the SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Malachi 4:2); the TRUE GOD AND ETERNAL LIFE (1 John 5:20); THE WAY; THE TRUTH; AND THE LIFE (John 14:26); the WORD (John 1:1); WONDERFUL (Isaiah 9:6)!

B. You can believe the gospel and know Him personally.

1. God became a man and revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:20)

2. Jesus came so we can know God. The way to do so is to believe. The promise is eternal life. (John 10:14, 26-28; John 17:3)

3. Hell awaits those who know about God but do not know Him personally (Matthew 7:22-23; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).

C. You can know Him better by spending time with Him – 2 Peter 3:18; James 4:8

II. LORD, WHAT WILT THOU HAVE ME TO DO?

A. This question naturally follows the honest asking and correct answering of the first.

1. He is the Lord and has every right to demand our service (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

2. He is all-wise and knows what is best for us (2 Samuel 22:31; Isaiah 55:6-9).

3. He is all-loving and wants what is best for us (Psalm 145:16).

B. Jesus Christ is our example (1 Peter 2:21). He came to do the Father's will (Hebrews 10:7; Luke 22:42).

C. We must make a conscious decision and effort to surrender our will to God's (Romans 12:1-2). This is our reasonable service.

• Paul wanted to KNOW God – "Who art thou, Lord?"
• Paul wanted to PLEASE God – "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

I have decided to follow Jesus…

The world behind me the cross before me…

Though none go with me still I will follow…

No turning back, no turning back.

God is Good – 10.12.09

For the next couple weeks, I'm going to post (in order) short outlines of the messages I preached at the teen alive youth conference in Guyana – in hopes that these notes will be a blessing to some.

GOD IS GOOD

Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Exodus 34:6 – God is ABUNDANT in goodness and truth

Psalm 31:19 – His goodness is GREAT

Psalm 52:1 – His goodness ENDURETH CONTINUALLY

I. WHY YOU MUST RECOGNIZE THE GOODNESS OF GOD – THE REASONS

A. He is the source of all of life's blessings

1. Stated (Acts 17:22-28; James 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:17)

2. God's creation was very good (Genesis 1:31)

3. Man's sin brought sorrow and death (Genesis 3:16-17; Romans 5:12; James 1:14-15)

4. Sometimes our trouble is our own fault, sometimes it's the fact of life in a sin-cursed world

B. He gives comfort in all sorrow – Psalm 46:3; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Hebrews 4:14-16; Proverbs 18:24

C. He'll use the bad things in your life to make you a better person – Romans 8:28

D. He is the source of salvation – Hebrews 2:9, 14-15

II. WHY YOU MUST RECOGNIZE THE GOODNESS OF GOD – THE RESULTS

A. The goodness of God will lead you to repentance

1. Stated (Romans 2:4)

2. God's goodness means He must judge sin (Romans 2:3-6)

3. God's goodness in light of our unworthiness (Romans 5:6-8)

B. The goodness of God will lead you to obedience

1. God's commandments are for our good (Deuteronomy 10:13; Micah 2:7)

2. There is true joy in doing right (Psalm 16:11; Psalm 19:11)

3. If God is all-wise and all-loving, then I'm best off trusting Him enough to do what He says

Guyana – 10.9.09

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, and I do apologize. Plan to get back at the regular schedule next week. In the meantime, here's an update on my recent journey to Guyana.

For those of you who might not know, I had the opportunity to travel to Guyana from Monday, September 21 thru Tuesday, September 29 to be with Missionary Dean Runyon in Port Kaituma and preach a teen revival meeting that ran Wednesday through Sunday.

1. Thanks so much to those who prayed. The effect of those prayers was very evident throughout the week, and the Lord answered every prayer I had going in.

• The meetings were very well attended. In all, I believe over 175 "secondary students" (equivalent of our high school) were registered.
  
• The response to the messages was very good. The altar was full the one night we had a "come forward" type invitation. Many young people made some important decisions and commitments throughout the week as a result of the preaching of the word of God.
  
• There were also 11 who professed faith in Jesus Christ for the salvation of their soul and were baptized on Sunday afternoon.
  
• I came down with a head cold the Monday morning that I flew out of Miami, which really affected me on the Tuesday morning jungle flight into Port Kaituma. In answer to prayer, it was clear in a matter of days, and I was fully recovered for my flight back out the next Monday morning.

2. Please continue to pray for Dean & Patty Runyon as they minister in Guyana.

• Pray that Dean will have wisdom in continuing to minister to these young people. There were many who grew up in the church (the Runyons celebrate their 11th anniversary on the field this month) but had gotten out since going into secondary school – and were there for each service during the teen meeting. Pray that they'll stick with the decisions they made and go on for Jesus.
  
• There are currently two couples raising support and making plans to join Dean & Patty on the field as soon as possible. Ray & Kim Boltz will be starting a children's home and working with Bro. Dean at Lighthouse Baptist Church, and Buck & Shannon Woodworth (Buck's a graduate of The DeLand School of THE BIBLE who filled in for Dean during his furlough in 2008) will be working in the church planting and Bible school ministries. Please pray they can wrap up their deputation quickly and get to Guyana soon. There is much work to be done!
  
• Dean has been battling an ear infection for probably a good two months. It had improved somewhat while I was in Guyana but has since worsened (again). He's been on a couple different rounds of antibiotics. Please pray for God's healing and grace.
  
• Cheo and Charlene McIntyre are two adorable, 9-year-old, Amerindian twins (Cheo's a boy, Charlene's a girl) that the Runyons are raising. They have a sad past but a bright future. Cheo has been saved and baptized, and Charlene is asking a lot of questions. Pray for her salvation.

3. I went on this trip in hopes of being a blessing, but as always, the Lord ministered to my heart.

• As with any mission trip, I returned home with a greater appreciation for the things we so often take for granted in the US. The trip also renewed my appreciation for the things that our missionaries do without for the love of the God who called them and the people to whom they minister. Every Christian should visit the mission field at least once if at all possible.
  
• Had a great time of fellowship with the Runyons throughout the week. There wasn't much time for sightseeing (not that there was much to see), river boating (with the piranhas), or jungle exploring (with anacondas), but I got to spend some time with Bro. Dean during the days as we prepared for the evening meetings. Two things about Bro. Dean that stuck out to me and I hope will stick on me were (1) the fact that he has more he wants to do for God than he'll ever be able to accomplish in this lifetime. He has more ideas, plans, goals, desires, etc. than will ever come to fruition. (2) He genuinely cares about people. People he's ministering to right now, people he has known in the past, people he met only yesterday. I don't know how many times tears would well up in his eyes as he'd tell me stories about people he's known and things that God has done.

4. A couple notes to finish up.

• As exciting and as fun and as much of a blessing as it was to go, it was even better to come back to my home and my church and my beautiful wife! GOD IS SO GOOD!
  
• Please pray for Pastor Joel Logan and a group from Sweet Springs Baptist Church who are working this week with Missionary James Hoffmeister in an attempt to start a church in a predominately Hindu area on the island of Trinidad.

Until next time – keep pressing toward the mark (and don't quit after that).