Dearly Beloveth In Christ,

AS PART OF OUR PLAN FOR THE YEAR 2006 WE WILL BE RUNNING AN NGO (NON-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY) CALL "EYE OPENNER " TO CREATE SOCIAL AWARENESS & ENLIGHTIMENT OF YOUTHS ALONG WITH OUR EVANGELICAL CHARITABLE CHRISTIAN YOUTH MINISTRY -"LIGHTBEARERS WORLDWIDE OUTREACH" IN NIGERIA & ALL OVER THE WORLD THROUGH THE SPREADING OF THE GODSPEL OF MY LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.THIS WE BELEIVE WILL HELP NIGERIA & THE WORLD IN GENERAL BUILDING A VIBRANT YOUTH, AND TRANSFORMING LIVES BECAUSE WE STRONGLY BELEIVE YOUTHS ARE THE FUTURE LEADERS, AND SO THEY ARE OUR TARGET.

It is on this note that I would like to get you acquainted with our Ministry and what you can do in your own little way to assist us. No matter how small the assistance maybe, it will be of great encouragement to me and the entire evangelical team that is walking with me...

Yours In Jesus The Christ,

Bro. Osadebamwen,IMAFIDON

(PRESIDENT)
LIGHT-BEARERS OUTREACH MINISTRY

B'ANN WROTE:

Hello

I have a concern when I write to ministries from other countries. In our United States, in the past few decades, we have had mega-ministries rise up on television which have become vast fund raising organizations. We are aware that a person needs to have funds to go forth and evangelize the world for Jesus. However, at this present time, the large ministries with a high profile are being scrutinized as to how they are using the money collected for the Cause of Christ. We need a home, office space, and places of worship; but this should not be our goal.

I am impressed by the method used by Chairman Cho in Korea. He started his church meetings in the homes of people. These people went to other homes and conducted home group meetings. This continued until he had a large following and  then he used the tithes to build his churches, etc. I’m not sure that I agree with his "dimensions" theory, but maybe this is the way he explains God’s plan to his people. (It is my prayer that he has not become caught up in the "riches" of the world but maintains a modest lifestyle.)  Any extra money collected by churches should go to evangelism first, then care for the widows and orphans and then the social concerns for which God has called that particular church group.

Your church has been called to reach the youth and this is absolutely the hope of the world. If they are not reached by ages 3 or 4 years; then, statistics show that the chances of them becoming Christian is in serious jeopardy. By the time they are teenagers, we find ourselves conducting rehabilitation type organizations that deal in rescue and rebuilding of shattered lives. Christ never started His Church for rehabilitation purpose; but, rather, as a proactive outreach starting at the birth of a child.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
 

I know that your heart is to bring teenagers to the saving knowledge of Jesus. However, how much better to start in the "lap of learning" which is the mother or in the home. If the teenagers that you are presently helping, and I am impressed by the programs and organization presented in your email, grow up to become dedicated Christian parents that allow Christ and His Scriptures to be taught in the home; then, there should be a high success rate for future children.

I have to constantly voice my concern that other nations do not look to the United States and its high-profile ministries as the true cause of Christ. There are thousands of Christian here that make simplicity their daily walk. They share Jesus in their testimony and personal conduct at home or at work. This does not required big fund raising extravaganzas, large building funds and maintenance costs that can become a financial burden; but rather a walk demonstrated by Jesus as He walked among men.

Mark 16:15-18
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Now, let me finish by saying that neither did Jesus advocate poverty. He sent his disciples into town to get Him a donkey that had never been ridden.

Mark 11:2
And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

This would parallel the purchasing of new transportation today; whether it is a bicycle or a bus. But we need to temper our ministry needs with moderation and be sure that 90% of the monies go out from us to meet the needs of the people. The tithe should not be "turned in" upon us to build "bigger and better buildings" or "large salaries."

Luke 12:20
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

This is not to suggest that one does not need a building where the youth can come for Christian fellowship such as a gymnasium, fellowship hall, etc. But if we go out and win souls to Christ first, and establish a Scriptural tithe base for giving, then our burden becomes lighter. One thousand church members giving $1.00 is much better that ten giving $100. And as always, our ministry should be built upon John 3:16.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 In summation, be sure to always follow this admonition from Christ,

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

DON WROTE:

As we have often written in our WRAPs, we are not in the business of helping to raise money.  True, as B'Ann just wrote, we do find ourselves often needing money to operate our ministry; but from the very beginning of our walk with the Lord, we felt impressed of the Lord that we were to look to Him as our source and not to man.  Consider the following verses of Scripture.

 Jeremiah 17:5-8
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Proverbs 11:28
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Again, we do understand that it takes money to operate in this world; but please do not look to the "rich" ministries of the West for your example of how to be a minister for Jesus!  I think that most would have to agree that Paul was an able minister of the Word and that he set a good example of how to minister to the Church.  Let's consider his life and service for a moment.

1. He was born into the Kingdom of God and "called" to minister with a calling that left no doubt in his mind but that he was called to preach, teach, and minister for his Savior.  (See Acts chapter 9.)
2. God did not leave his preparation to a man (or a denominational seminary, etc.) but took him aside and taught him by His Holy Spirit.
3. Paul never asked for money for himself (he did collect some money for others), but made tents to supported himself and his ministry.
4. Also, consider the following:
   
   1 Corinthians 2:1-5
   And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
   For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
   And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
   And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
   That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Also, we should not forget what Jesus told His first disciples when they asked Him what they should do about money to pay tax collectors.

 Matthew 17:24-27  (Amplified Version)
When they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the half shekel [the temple tax] went up to Peter and said, Does not your Teacher pay the half shekel?
He answered, Yes. And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him [about it] first, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or tribute--from their own sons or from others not of their own family?
And when Peter said, From other people not of their own family, Jesus said to him, Then the sons are exempt.
However, in order not to give offense and cause them to stumble [that is, to cause them to judge unfavorably and unjustly] go down to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find there a shekel. Take it and give it to them to pay the temple tax for Me and for yourself.

Remember, Jesus told the disciples that they were to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men.  The application here is that the new disciples they were bringing into the Kingdom would help them meet their basic needs.

B'Ann and I can attest to the Lord's faithfulness in the matter of sustenance (money, place to stay, food, etc.) when you dare to walk by faith; for He has always had someone ready to meet our needs.  In fact, to our children, it was "fun" when mom would come home from a meeting and find money in her coat pocket or money slipped between the pages of a book.  Also, it was a "plus" to our faith when someone would walk up and say that the Lord had led them to give us money–or when I'd open up our post office box and find a gift that was always timely, or when someone would provide us a house to live in while we ministered in their area. etc.

Again, we have not used our website to raise funds for ourselves or others, but we do put your WRAPs up for our visitors to consider so that they might pray as the Lord leads.

Also, we do thank those of you who have invited us to your area.  Although the Lord has not led us to travel overseas, he has led us to pray that He would send workers into the harvest and we thank you for putting your hands to the plow.  In addition, He does lead us to pray that He will meet the needs of those who are endeavoring to follow His Spirit and answer His call.

Having said this, we offer three more ministries for our visitors to consider.

REV. SAMBABU WROTE:

Dear Brother & Sister in Christ,

Greetings to you in the most precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I am Rev M. Sambabu from Eluru city Andhra Pradesh, India. we are would love to conduct the Healing Crusades with you in India. This is the time for Harvest. So, please come let us join our hands, work together, revive the Churches, Strengthen the Pastors & Believers and win the souls for our Heavenly Master.

Our Goal is to preach the Gospel to Every Creature and Church Planting in Rural and Urban areas of Andhra Pradesh ,South India.

We are praying earnestly for this matter from a long time.  So, Please pray and consider our request. we shall be extremely thankful if you would kindly find fine time at the earliest in attending to our request. Please feel free to contact us for any further information regarding this matter.

I would love to with you as a Ministry partner in India. I am waiting to hear from you.

Thanking you,

Yours in His Ministry,

Rev.M.Sambabu

UGANDA, EAST AFRICA

BRO MOSES WROTE:

Dear Brethren in Christ
Christian greetings,

We are a young ministry which is interested in reaching people who have lost
hope in this world with the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are
inter-denominational outreach ministry, calling people to prayer,
cooperation, unity and evangelism.

After visiting our website, I’ve been impressed and desired to partner with
you in this noble cause. I will be very much appreciative to hear from you..




Yours in a living hope
Luswata Drake Moses
Director One Flock Ministries Africa
luswata@oneflockministries.org
www.oneflockministries.org

SOUTH INDIA

BRO PETER WROTE:

Dear beloved
Greetings to you in the wonderful name of Jesus. I am Evangelist and Social Worker Mr. Peter God has called me to serve Him in the surrounding villages of South India. I am writing this letter to ask for your support for my ministry. We are an outreach to the homeless, helpless, Street children, orphan children, and Leprosy people, we reach out with hope and the love of God. Our goal is to help those in need. To help rebuild their lives. But we can’t do it alone we need your help; any size donation large or small will help, let me tell you a little about us. I have been reaching out the past 10 years, the program at HOLY LAND MINISTRIES INDIA This is a Registered Charity under Indian Government Act 35 of 2001 Charity No- 295 of 2005. I am seeking to partner with me in proclaiming the Gospel in rural, tribal and remote slum areas of Andhra Pradesh. Please co-operate with us for the extension of the kingdom of God, I believe that your involvement will enable us to lead many to salvation. India is a country of idolatry and superstition. As you know, Indians worship thousands of gods and goddesses. Out of one billion Indians only 2.4% are Christians. These are the challenges we face in doing the work of God. Our aim is to reach every nook and corner and preach the Gospel to every perishing soul.
Please uphold our Ministry in your regular prayers. We have no affiliation with any organization and receive little regular support. There are many children, victims of leprosy, and street children who have no accommodation, and are basically starving. We are not able to provide housing for these people, but we do take to the streets with food and utensils so these people won't die of starvation.
Our ministry consists of hunger, mockeries and persecutions. Our fellow Co- Brothers are very poor. They really have to depend on God. They have to look after their families as well as the Gospel out reach work. Most of the time they walk (for they have no bicycles) and proclaim the Gospel. If you could raise funds for our Homeless children we will be very thankful to you. Please stretch out your hand of compassion to fill their bellies and wipe the tears from their cheeks. I await your reply with hope and faith.
In His Service
Evangelist, Peter
Holy Land Ministries

Pastor Koos van den Berg had a heart and a passion for bikers, especially because the community has rejected many. Many of these bikers are caught up in drug abuse, are lost and do not know God. Amongst them there are however also a big group of Christians, who are adhering to the command of being fishers of men. Koos recognized the gap and realized the need of these people, and had the vision to establish a place of worship where bikers can go on a breakfast run and also receive food for the soul. As the church has hurt many bikers, it's really a challenge to reach them and to minister to them.
Unfortunately Koos passed away in an accident before realizing his dream, but the flame of it never died. Months later it was taken up by his wife, Petro van den Berg, who started searching for resources to make the dream a reality. In a wondrous way God provided everything - a hall at the bikers venue, Que Sera; a motivational speaker and sociologist, Dr Gerrie van Wyk; and a Gospel band, Got Hymn. All of them have the same heart for God and a passion to share the good news with the world.
On 2 Apr 2006 the first Praise & Worship Celebration was presented at Que Sera, and although there were less than 50 people, it was blessed and successful. Que Sera is on the R25 Bronkhorstspruit/ Bapsfontein road, and as there is no church in the vicinity, this event is also providing in the local peoples' need for a place to worship. Since then there has been a Praise & Worship Celebration every 1st Sunday of the month, and every time it was anointed by the Holy Spirit.

After the first event an intensive marketing strategy was launched to promote this event as it is our vision to reach 3000 bikers, and we know nothing is impossible for God. We all know the harvest is ready but the laborers are few, and bikers really have the need for a place where they can receive soul food, a new perspective and can also relax away from daily pressures. Although the target group is bikers, it is open to everybody as our logo is: It's not about man, but about God!
Therefore it would really be appreciated if you can help us in our effort to promote it, to make it known in your environment, and to also forward it to your friends.

Your support would really be appreciated, and may you experience God's blessings in abundance today.

For more enquiries feel free to contact us. Have a great day.

Rita Pretorius Petro van den Berg
Got Hymn Gospel Band 082 787 4623

B'ANN WROTE:

Hello Rita,

Again and again, I have had to remind people that we have made the Cause of Christ into a rehabilitation crusade and not a soul winning one. Certainly one would hope that the Arms of Christ are always open to people of all ages. But He taught this Scripture:

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Statistics prove that a child that learns about Jesus at the age of 3-4 years will probably avoid many of the pitfalls as they become a teenager. It is much more difficult to reach a teenager or young adult that has already had a messed up life.

Yes, churches can be cruel to the more undesirable elements of our society. This is in no way infers that bikers are undesirable because there are some excellent Christian groups that are bikers. But as you mentioned in your writing, they can present needs that sometimes have to be met.

The cruelty of the churches does not start when a person becomes a young adult and follows a lifestyle that can be counter-productive. The cruelty starts when they do not have a strong outreach program that brings the young children into the church community. If the Sunday school programs of our churches were active; if our church members were willing to give just one hour of their time on Sunday morning, on Sunday night, on Wednesday night, or on whatever night they choose to use for children’s outreach, this would make a dramatic difference in the lives of children everywhere.

When we were pastoring churches, it was difficult to start programs that would bring children to church. The reason given by the congregation were that 1)the parents need to bring their own children and make them behave; 2) the children will mess up the upholstered pews and carpet; or 3) "I raised my children, now let these parents raise their own."

Soul-winning takes many forms but this Scripture just quoted sums it all up.  Let me quote it again.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

True cruelty is to never give a child a chance to learn about Jesus. We must be missionaries to the tiny children in our world. Perhaps every child will not decide to choose Christ as their Savior. But they need to be allowed the choice. And this is the work of any church that advocates the cause of Christ.

Thanks for WRAPping with us,

B'Ann

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