Uganda Trip July 2012 Report

GateWay East Africa

Uganda Trip July 2012 Report

The long flight never gets easier although I am thankful that we were kept safely in the kind hands of our God.  We arrived late Saturday night at Entebbe and then traveled to Mpigi Sunday morning in time to gather with our brothers and sisters for worship at Mmembe Baptist Church in the Mpigi district.  My first ever 9 hour worship service was followed by Ugandan potluck.  Yum.  I was so encouraged by their love for God and His word as evidenced by their desire to worship corporately all day.  

Monday morning we traveled by van to the village of Busombo to help Pastor Wasswa and the church in their efforts to reach their village.  Busombo is an area filled with witchcraft and drunkenness which has greatly contributed to their spiritual darkness and financial desperation.  We appreciated a lunch prepared by the church members and spent a few hours providing Bible teaching to the core group of the church.  We also provided money for a wheelchair for a 3 year old boy inflicted by an unknown malady which is causing abnormally large swelling to his head.  We shared the gospel with some of the people in the village and showed the “Passion of the Christ” movie that night in the Lugandan language.  Pastor Wasswa is faithful in a very difficult context for ministry.  Response to the gospel is low and the church is few in number but they are shining the light in a dark place.  

Tuesday we traveled to Bukasa where Pastor Frank serves a small congregation.  Frank is very evangelistic and appears to have good relationships in the small community.  While sharing the gospel in the village I was able to share with a man named Simon who grills meat for sale.  I shared the gospel with him and a few others gathered together.  One man said he was a follower of Christ but Simon and Matthias both made professions of faith.  Simon then went next door and brought his friend, Herman, over to hear the message I was sharing.  He also professed faith in Christ.  This village was also filled with drunkenness and spiritual darkness but about 300 gathered for the showing of the “Passion” film.  We arrived back at the motel at midnight.

Wednesday we spent the day witnessing around Mmembe Baptist Church.  We had some great visits and some professions of faith but overall the level of response was less than what I have experienced in other parts of east Africa.  I was especially impressed with Pastor Gingo’s work ethic, faithfulness, and doctrinal integrity.  He is truly a man of God who is loving people and teaching the Bible in a context that would discourage lesser men.  Two special highlights of the day were watching Nathan Bural preach at the school in Kalagala and Landon Northcutt preaching on the street near Mmembe BC.  Nathan boldly declared the word of God with precision and power and many students received Christ as Lord.  Landon started slow from Isaiah 53 and rose high as he called the people to trust Christ and avoid eternity in Hell.  We had dinner at a restaurant and discovered they could fry fish and chicken.  Although it was different than our customary fare, it was appreciated after a few steady doses of matoke.

Thursday began our two day Pastor’s Conference.  In attendance were 17 pastors from the Lake Wamala Baptist Association which began in 2000, representing 9 churches and other mission efforts.  Jacob Rowe did a great job teaching the pastors and church leaders.  The need for pastor training is great and Gingo is putting forth great effort as their Director of Missions, but he needs more help.  We shared the Scriptures with the students at the Green Valley School and about 20 made professions of faith, notably a few of the students were coming from Muslim families.  That evening we had an evangelistic meeting in which Harold “Smitty” Smith shared his testimony and Robert Whitefield delivered a great sermon.  We found our way back to the fried chicken and fish that night and back at motel at 9pm.

Friday we continued the Pastor’s Conference with Robert sharing from John 15 and I shared from Psalm 51 and Romans 6.  The afternoon was spent witnessing on the streets of Mpigi and we had an evangelistic meeting on an empty lot in the town.  The “praise team” of Mmembe BC led in music which joyfully continued for 45 minutes.  I preached from Mark 13 on the subject, “What You Can Expect When Christ Returns.”  Although the crowd was much smaller than we expected each night in Mpigi, there were many passersby and a couple of hundred gathered for the showings of the “Passion” movie.

Saturday was a productive day of witnessing on the streets of Mpigi.  Landon and I shared the gospel with one lady named Teresa who was so thankful to hear God’s Word.  She received the gospel of Christ with joy unspeakable and rejoiced unlike few I have ever seen.  Her response strengthened my soul.  A young man named Absalom said he recently had been experiencing many “disturbances” and had been asking God to show him the truth.  When we shared the good news of Jesus with him, he said that he had been “longing for the message” and gladly received Christ as Lord.  We held another meeting that night and Jacob Rowe delivered the sermon with earnestness.  After the meeting we found our way back to the fried chicken.

Sunday was a great day of worship with our Ugandan brethren.  Jacob preached at Gateway BC, which is a plant of Mmembe BC.  Gingo preaches at Gateway at 9am and then returns to Mmembe BC every Sunday to preach afterward.  Robert preached at Bukasa and I preached at Mmembe.  God blessed the service in so many ways.  Of those responding, one young man is of particular note.  He had been at one of the schools where we had shared earlier in the week.  He came from a Muslim family and his father had told him not to listen to the “born-agains” for they spoke silliness.  The young man said, “I want silly things, I want to follow Jesus!”  We all rejoiced in the faithfulness and benevolence of our God.  We enjoyed a going away dinner hosted by the dear ladies of Mmembe BC and then departed for Kampala.

Sunday evening in Kampala brought us closer to some of our cultural comforts as we had pizza at Nando’s.  It is very sad to see all of the street-children and beggars in the streets.  Every time I go to Africa I want to bring a plane load of children back with me.  Although I don’t have the resources to give them many things, I take comfort in knowing that what we offer in the gospel of Jesus Christ affords immeasurable riches.

We arrived at Entebbe Airport at 6:30pm and departed on our long flight home at 11:30pm.

I thank God for the work he is doing among the people of east Africa and the work he does in our hearts each time we go.  I pray that He will continue to provide the resources we need for GateWay East Africa to grow and help in the areas of church planting and pastoral training.

What About Those Who Have Not Heard of Jesus?

What About Those Who Have Not Heard of Jesus?

by Pastor Richmond Goolsby

This question comes in many forms, but it always comes.  How can God hold people responsible for their sins if they have not heard of the saving grace that comes through Jesus?  Would God actually allow people who have not heard the gospel to spend eternity in hell?  What about the person living in the deepest, darkest jungle who does not have exposure to the Christian message?  Will God condemn the one who sins and has not heard of Jesus?  In order to properly respond to these questions we must  consider what the Bible says about the modes through which God makes Himself known.

The Scripture states that God reveals Himself generally.  Psalm 19:1 says, “the heavens declare the glory of God.”  As a person looks into the heavens and sees the sun, moon and stars, the handiwork of God is revealed.  The creation of God’s hands manifests the reality of God.  Romans 1:20 says, “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.”  The majestic characteristics of the created order reveal to humanity the majestic character of God.  His “invisible attributes” are seen by the magnificence of His creation.  We can see that God is powerful, for by the power of His word He spoke the universe into existence and sustains it day by day.  God tells the sun when to rise and set.  He has told the oceans how far they may extend and commands the mountains to stand.  We can see that God is benevolent, for by His mercy He provides breath to every living being.  He fills His created beings with provision for existence each day.  We can see that God is orderly in His providence, for He has established laws in the universe which maintain its order.  The awesomeness of the universe reveals the eternal power of God.  Acts 14:17 reminds us that, “God did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”  God sends the rain from heaven as a testimony that He is real and active.  He provides fruitful seasons to testify that He oversees the universe and mercifully provides for His creation.  God is the primary witness of the reality of His existence.  The heavens declare His glory, His attributes are clearly seen, and He has provided an eyewitness account of His being through general revelation.  This form of revelation is enough for man to know that God is, but it is not enough to know who God is.

The Bible says that the general form of divine revelation given to men is not enough to save man from his sin.  2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says, “the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded.”  The god of this age, the devil, is using his deceptive tactics to blindfold the minds of the human population through sin.  People are living in the midst of general revelation which is declaring daily the glory of God but they will not see Him unless, “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine upon them.”  Although everyone is surrounded by the glory of God, His attributes will remain invisible to those without the light of the gospel of Christ shining upon their hearts.  The Apostle Paul declared to the Areopagus at Athens, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30)  God has mercifully allowed the continuation of life without pouring out His divine judgment upon sin, but now is commanding those who have heard the truth of sin and salvation to turn away from their personal rebellion and trust Christ.  In verse 31 he provides the reason for the urgency of immediate response, “because God has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man (Jesus) whom He has ordained.”  The message is clearly presented, God has been merciful but you must repent and trust Christ or receive divine judgment.  Romans 10:14 removes any uncertainty with these words, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?”  Although God has revealed His divine existence through His creation, no person can be saved without believing in Christ.  No one will hear the truth of Christ unless the gospel is preached (declared) to them.  While God has extended great kindness by the manifestation of His existence through general revelation, only the gospel of Jesus Christ is sufficient to save man from sin.

Salvation only comes through the particular revelation of Christ.  The created universe declares to us that God is real, but only the gospel tells us how God saves man from sin through Christ.  The heavens declare the glory of God but only Jesus can reconcile us to the glory of God.  Acts 4:12 provides eternal truth for all, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Although the stars of the sky point to the splendorous Creator, the heavenly luminaries did not die to receive the penalty of sin.  Majestic mountains refer us to the beauty of our God, but they cannot provide righteousness on behalf of the sinful soul.  Only Jesus has accomplished the necessary work for man to be at peace with God.  In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.”  He is the only way to God.  He is the only way to know the truth of God.  He is the only way to gain the true life of God.  No person can receive these gifts apart from Jesus Christ.  The Philippian jailer realized the condemning presence of his sin and cried out, “what must I do to be saved?”  Paul and Silas responded with liberating truth, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31)  They did not call him to believe that God created the sun.  There was not a commendation for believing merely in the existence of God, but the command, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Salvation comes only through faith in what Christ has done through His substitutionary death and victorious resurrection.  Sincerity in the pursuit of worshipping one’s idea of God is insufficient to save.  One must receive the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice as the appeasement of God’s wrath upon their own sin to be saved.  God has revealed this glorious truth specifically in the good news of His Son, and it is this particular revelation that must be cherished for the reception of salvation.

A most logical question is in order at this point in the discussion.  What happens to the person that recognizes the existence of God but has not heard of Jesus?  Can someone who sincerely responds to the general revelation of creation alone be saved?  Will God condemn someone who has not heard the gospel of Christ before they die?  Remember this, God grants further revelation to those who respond to the revelation they have been given.  The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 was earnestly reading Isaiah 53 while sitting in his chariot.  He was sincerely responding to the revelation God had given him but he did not understand all that he was reading.  God sent to him Philip, who preached Jesus to him, beginning at the Scripture in Isaiah 53.  The eunuch responded by believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was baptized as a follower of Christ.  The man from Ethiopia responded to the revelation God provided and God delivered to him the further revelation necessary for salvation.  Recently, while in a small village in Uganda, I met a young man working on the side of the road.  I shared with him the message of Jesus and asked him if we would like to receive Christ and follow Him.  The young man said that he knew that God was real and that he had been longing for this message of good news.  He told me that he had been asking God to show him more of the truth and so God sent me there to that tiny village with an open Bible in my hand, declaring the way to reconciliation with God through Christ.  That young Ugandan man now has eternal life because he responded to the revelation God had given him and God sent to him the gospel.  

In the immutable faithfulness of God, He will not neglect one precious soul who desires to be saved.  We can trust in the infinite justice and mercy of God as He requires perfect righteousness for salvation and provides the righteousness of Christ for all who believe.  God reveals Himself to all, and to all who respond in repentance and faith in Christ, God saves.