Giving Thanks

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!  For your wondrous works declare that Your name is near."  Psalm 75:1

God is so worthy of our thanksgiving.  With His gentle hand He has provided our lives.  With the might that holds up the universe, He sustains each breath we breathe.  Each individual act of God's power and grace is a gift.  And the gifts He gives are innumerable.  We give Him thanks because He is good.  He gives because He is good.  Out of His goodness flows the wondrous works we receive.  Each wondrous work declares the goodness of His name.  But the goodness of God refuses to leave His name out of reach, for we see that His works declare His name is near.
In His transcendent magnificence He is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light.  No man dare to even consider looking upon His full glory.  Certainly there are times that He chooses to reveal a portion of the glory which surrounds Him, but no man can look upon God and live.  Yet, in all of His omnipotent splendor God has chosen to come near.  He has chosen to declare that He is near by declaring so through His wondrous works.  He has chosen to come near in the person of Jesus Christ.  As John says, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father."
God is near today for all who follow Christ, and we should thank Him.  He is good.  He is powerful.  He cares enough to intervene.  Give Him thanks with your life.

Knowing How To Pray

I always feel so insufficient in my prayers.  This is normal when we consider to whom we are speaking.  When we pray we are speaking to the One who placed the works of His omnipotent hand to the grindstone of His creative will and hung the universe on nothing, therefore making it a most beautiful something.  When we pray, we are speaking to the One who angels dare not even look upon as they cry out the majestic nature of His infinite holiness.  Not only do we feel insufficient, but so many times we feel so unworthy to approach the Holy One.  We feel so polluted by our sins that we cannot imagine the ability to approach the One who dwells in the high and holy place.  His throne seems so unapproachable, and it is to the person without Christ.  But those who have placed their faith in Christ must remember that because of the perfect work of Jesus, our Intercessor, we can and should “come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)  There are times we don’t know what to say.  Either the pain is so difficult that words just won’t come out, or we feel so filthy that we hide in shame from our Father.  It is then we must remember Romans 8:26, “the Spirit helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”  With these things fresh upon our minds, here are some thoughts on prayer from Matthew 6:5-6.

Our prayers should be private devotion not public exhibition.  Jesus begins teaching us how to pray by first telling how not to pray.  “Do not be like the hypocrites” He says.  They loved to pray publicly but were void of internal communion with God.  Jesus says we are to pray without distraction.  He says in verse 6, “when you pray, go into your room, and shut your door.”  The still and quiet place is where we find God’s guidance.  We must pray in such a way that we enjoy the presence of our Father.  Jesus says in verse 6, “pray to your Father...and your Father sees you and will reward you.”  It is a heavenly conversation as we pray to the One who is not only God, but He is our Father.  A little girl was once asked to pray in her Sunday School class.  She bowed her head, closed her eyes and said, “The Lord is my Shepherd, and that’s all I want.”  She was right.

How I Became Last

My Life Before Christ

My life before Christ was characterized by pain and turmoil.  My parents divorced when I was only three years old due to clashing desires and constant disagreement.  My early years of life were without great stability except that which was provided by both sets of my grandparents.  My father quickly remarried a young widow with two children and they are still married today.  My mother remarried soon after, and following twelve years of tumultuous marriage they divorced.  His tragic death occurred not many years later.  I certainly cannot blame my childhood for the many sinful and destructive decisions I would later make, but there were obviously contributing factors.  My parents made mistakes, as do all parents, but they loved me and taught me many important lessons despite their conflicts.

By the time I reached the age of 14 I had become angry and confused with life.  I began a pattern of destruction that would damage myself and others for the next 10 years.  Although I was responsible and hard-working in many areas of my life, I was also given over to much revilement and sinful existence.  Violence, substance abuse, and riotous living were my modus operandi.  I existed without truly living, and attempted to hide my pain and anger with worldly substitutions in order that I might avoid dealing with the reality of the lack of a man I had become.  I remember moments in my life that God impressed His truth upon my thinking, but I only suppressed His truth in my own unrighteousness.  I dare not boast in the sins of my destructive past, however this is the generally stated truth of my life before Christ.  It was no life at all.

How I Came to Trust Christ as Savior

I am certain that I had been exposed to the gospel at various times in my early years, for much of my extended family were Christians and many times throughout those years I attended gospel-preaching churches, although not regularly.  My drift to selfish secularism was quite natural, as I thought life was all about me.  I do not recall ever hearing the gospel during the years of 14 to 24, in spite of knowing several church-going people.  Possibly I just did not have ears to hear in my sinful suppression of the truth.  

I met my wife when I was 23, and she initially had more concern for her spiritual condition than I had for mine.  My love for work and alcohol caused her great concern regarding our future.  Her neighbor invited her to attend a church service at Denton Bible Church, and she invited me to attend also.  At first, I thought it was good for me to be present in order to help establish myself as a respectable young business owner in the community.  My interest in God’s word and ministry was minimal and I especially thought the singing was ridiculous.  However, God began to change my thinking and I became very interested in the biblical messages that were being proclaimed.  As far as the singing, I remember one day watching some people standing next to me, with the corner of one eye on them and the other eye on the bulletin, while they were singing, “How Great Thou Art”.  They were singing with such joy that I realized I did not possess what they possessed.  Their faith was real, mine was an empty lie.

I became hungry to know the truth about life, and my church attendance became constant.  After listening to power-packed Bible sermons for about one year, I became introspective about my own spiritual condition.  Then one day while at home, I felt the conviction of God in a way that I had never known.  I realized for the first time in my life that I was guilty of sinful rebellion against the holy God, and I deserved His judgment.  I fell to my knees as I felt like the judgment of God was pummeling me into the foundation of my bathroom floor.  I cried out the only words I knew to cry, “Jesus, save me!”  In that moment I knew that I had passed from judgment to mercy, as times of refreshing came from the presence of the Lord and cleansed my soul.  I confessed to God that I had spent my life running from Him and hurting every one in my path.  I confessed that I was truly a sinner and believed that Christ alone could save me from the judgment I deserved.  I turned away from my sin and was embraced by Jesus.  Christ became my Savior that most wonderful day and I arose a new man.  

How My Life Has Changed

I spent the first 24 years of my life confused and damaged by sin without realizing the source of my problem.  Since becoming a follower of Jesus, I have gained awareness of the source of emotional turmoil and have increasingly received victory over it.  I once lived for myself and deceptively exploited others for my own personal gain, but as a child of God I wish to lose my life for the sake of others and their eternal destiny.  I now realize that my life does not exist for me to be famous, but for Jesus to be made famous through my life.  While I still do not know the answers to everything life presents, I have found the God-given wisdom through God’s word to live a life of peace and joy.  My hurts and pains had no apparent purpose before I trusted Christ, but I now know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are the called ones, according to His purpose.  For years I felt so alone, but now I know the presence of God through the Holy Spirit.  Summarily, I once was lost, but now I am found.  I once was blind but now I see.  Jesus has rescued me from myself and now my life completely belongs to Him.

The Hope of a Nation

What is the hope of a nation?  How can the people that make up a nation’s citizenship expect continued prosperity in this world?  Election time is approaching and the political rhetoric has been heating up on both sides.  People are anxious about the future of our country, and although the USA is still the most prosperous nation on earth, many Americans are struggling.  I believe that it is in times like these that we must remember the hope of our nation is not in the White House.  Bigger government will not solve our every woe, and shrewder financial decisions will not bring healing to our land.  The hope of our nation is found in God’s house, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  These words are attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville (19th century), “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers - and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce - and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution - and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”  The hope of our nation is found in the churches which are proclaiming the righteousness of God and the merciful love He has extended to all through Jesus Christ.  Loving our enemies, sacrificing self for the good of others, taking care of the poor and needy, and religious freedom are all American ideas because they were first Christian ideals.  2 Chronicles 7:14 is a promise from God to His people, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn form their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  This is a promise to God’s people, which is today the churches of Jesus.  As the churches go, so the nation will go.  The hope of our nation is for people to turn to God, one heart at a time.  America must never cease to be good, or she will indeed cease to be great.

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.

Unashamedly Christian

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”  Romans 1:16

Our church is working throughout the community this week in an effort we call Victory in the ‘Ville.  We are seeking to be ambassadors for Christ as we help others through service projects, visiting nursing homes, praying with people door to door, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have been met with overall appreciation and kindness as we seek to serve our community with the love of Christ.  Although it would be easier to sit in our holy huddles, we cannot hold back the truth that has set us free.  We are unashamedly Christian for these reasons:

The gospel of Christ is good news.  The bad news is that everyone has sinned against God and deserves divine judgment.  The good news is that Christ died in our place to receive the judgment we deserved.  Through turning away from sin and trusting in Christ, people receive reconciliation with God and eternal life.  In the midst of a lost and hurting world, Jesus has come to set the captives free.  This is what the Bible calls the gospel, and it is unashamedly great news.  

The gospel is the power of God.  God has benevolently chosen to act on our behalf by sending His Son to rescue us from ourselves.  This message of grace and mercy has been the divine power which has saved us from our own personal rebellion and its subsequent pain.  Christians now know joy unspeakable and hope immeasurable by the power of God through Christ crucified and risen from the dead.

The gospel saves everyone who believes.  To believe is not mere intellectual agreement with these statements.  To believe is to fully depend upon and completely trust in the saving grace of Christ.  It is this saving faith in Jesus that had the power to change my life and has the power to change yours.  

This gospel of Christ is worthy of faithfulness until our last breath expires, and it is worthy of unashamedly living for the glory of God.