Planted together in the likeness of his death.

Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

This world’s tomb could not hold him.  Death, the worst this world has to offer could not defeat Christ.  Jesus is alive today.  You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart.  My life has forever been changed by His work in my heart.  He has changed everything for me.  My past, present and future have all been changed because of Jesus being alive forever more.

I hope you have trusted in Him as Your Savior.  If you have, now live according to that new life He has given to You.  The life that You have is not according to your ability, your goodness or your power.  The life which you now live, live it by faith in Christ that He will perform all that needs to be done in your life.

Are you living according to His life or according to your old life.  Victory in Jesus should not only be song that you sing but a reality in which you daily live.  Please don’t post on facebook about His new life and miss out on living out that new life day to day.  Let’s grab hold of that life, His life, that He has given us. Let’s live, not according to what we see, a dark and gloomy world.  Let’s live according to newness of life.  Power over death, hell and the grave.  It is already ours.  We are not working toward that power in the blood.  We have that power already.  

And there was no deliverer.

^{Judges 18:28} And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

This city was overtaken.  Verse 27 tells us that the people were killed with the sword.  The city was burned.  In every aspect of the word, the city was destroyed.  God tells us that they “were at quiet and secure”.  Then the Holy Spirit goes on to tell us that there was no deliverer for this people.  The reason was because they were “far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man”.    There was no deliverer because they were so far from anyone that could have helped.  They had no regular dealings with anyone that might be coming there soon who could have helped them.

I hope you know Christ as your true Deliverer.  This is first and foremost.  He has delivered every true believer from the penalty of sin and the power of sin.  One day He will deliver us from the presence of sin.  Are you close to the Lord today?  Are you close to the One who will help you in your life today?  Stay close to the only One Who can truly deliver you from sin and sin’s destruction.

With that truth, the Lord also gives us friends who can be of great help to us.  Develop strong friendships with strong friends.  Friends who will sharpen your walk with the Lord.  Friends who want to have a friendship based upon the Word of God and the ministry that the Lord has given us.  Friends can be a great help when you are being attacked.  Don’t isolate yourself from others.  Don’t allow your schedule to be so full that you have no time for good friendships.  Carve out time for them.  You can greatly benefit from godly friends.  Similarly as bad friends can harm us, good friends can help us.

Elizabeth and I have some great friends all over the States.  It is not easy to keep in touch with them all.  However, we try to stay connected.  If possible, we will stop and see friends as we travel through an area(though not as much as we would like- We were just in NC and could not see a few families that we wanted to stop and see).  When we are home we want to get together with friends to fellowship and continue to build our friendships.  Why?  We all greatly benefit from having people around us that are going in the same direction that we are.

What we are doing…

This week in our family’s life and ministry:

Looking forward to another great day of fellowship around the subject of world wide missions.  We were so glad to meet Pastor Robert Guynn and his wife who have ministered for the past six years here at Peoples Baptist Church.  The church has supported us a little longer than that time.  Thank you to this church and our many other faithful supporters.  This is our first time to be with the church since the Pastor Guynn has been here.  What a blessing to be with some people that we know from the last time we were at the church.  Others also we met as we’ve seen that the church has grown.  New faces all over the church.  Every age group is represented.  The church also has a beautiful, new building.  What a joy to see the Lord’s work.

We really appreciate Sis. Norene Williams hosting us in her home.  Elizabeth, Hannah and I have stayed with her when Hannah was a newborn baby.  So kind of Sis. Norene to have us again.  The gifts she gave to Hannah and Joe was so thoughtful.  A huge gift bag was also given to us from the people of the church.  Our family is truly touched by everyone’s love and generosity.  It was also so nice to see some friends Bro R. C. King and his wife.  Bro. King is preaching the meeting.  Expecting the Lord to use Him to speak to all of us.

We would appreciate you praying for us on Saturday as we drive home to Atlanta for meetings there on Sunday.  Monday, we will be picking my parents up from the airport.  They have arrived in the States safely.  They stopped over in Colorado to see my brother Matthew and his family.  I know they are enjoying their time with them.  I’ve always said that one of the more difficult things of foreign missions is being away from family.  Glad that my parents will be able to meet our youngest, Olivia Grace. 

Another prayer request is for our me to fill our calendar with meetings.  We have a lot of Sundays with one meeting that we want to fill the other service.  If your church would like to have us to come, please let me know.  We are looking to raise the remaining amount of our support and be ready for our move in October.

Meetings in AL, GA and NC

This past week and a half has been a great time with many different churches.  Please continue to pray with us that we will see the last remainder of our support raised quickly.  We are preparing now for our move to Chile in October.  

We thank each church in which we were able to share our burden for church planting in Chile.  We also appreciate the churches at which they have allowed us to stay in their prophets chambers.  Pray with us that the Lord will continue to use these churches in His work.  Here are the churches in which we have been most recent.

Last Sunday Night: Central Baptist Church – Jasper, AL

Thursday: Calvary Baptist Church – Toccoa, GA

Friday:  White Plains Baptist Church – Jefferson, GA

Sunday AM: Center Pigeon Baptist Church – Canton, NC

Sunday PM: Gordon Baptist Church – North Wilkesboro, NC

Wednesday: Bethel Baptist Church – North Wilkesboro, NC

Today we are now headed to Peoples Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC to be with them in their missions conference.  See you all soon!

What did He say?

Joshua 21:43-45

⁴³ And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. ⁴⁴ And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. ⁴⁵ There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. 

You and I would probably put our answer down on a test that we believe God keeps His promises.  We probably would not stand in front of our church and declare that we think God is unfaithful.  “The Words, ‘God failed me.’ are not common among church goers. However, do those thoughts have a small part in your heart.

We first need to know what God has promised.  Search the Bible for ourselves.  We must know what the Lord has promised to us.  Has he promised great wealth?  Has he promised great food?  What about good health?  If you do feel wronged by a perfect God, from what did this feeling come?  

Will God always do right or will He always do what’s right by our thinking?  My two oldest children, often do things against what I would have wanted that seem right to them (especially my adventurous son).  In their minds, all seems well as they venture off or play with a new object they find.  We need to use the Bible to renew our minds to a point of view in line with what the Lord has promised to us.

The Almighty God kept His promises to the people of Israel concerning the Promised Land.  He will also keep His Word to you and me.  Do we believe that He will keep His Word? Most would say, “Yes”.  But do we feel that He has made any concrete promises to us and our family?  

Let’s study His Word more so that we can learn His promises and then stand upon them.

Custodians in the Bible? Are you a custodian?

Numbers 3:36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

-[Custody:  A keeping; a guarding; care, watch, inspection, for keeping, preservation or security.]

God is saying that He has a plan for certain people to be doing a certain work.  He had something that He wanted to be done.  So he designates a family to be in charge of certain parts of the work.  What work of the Lord is in your charge?  What work have you taken on to do?

Let’s not answer ambiguously.  [Ambiguous: Unclear or inexact because a choice between alternatives has not been made.- Notice the word inside of a word, “big”.  Don’t always give big answers to yourself such as: Everyone is a missionary to the whole world. I give in the offering which goes to all of my church’s missionaries. I am a witness all over my community.]  What have you done in the past seven days as a custodian for Christ?

I am afraid we are more about being a custodian of everything else than we are the work of the Lord.  Can you imagine a custodian of a church who never worked on maintaining the church?  He would be called upon during work hours only found to be at home maintaining his own home.

Let’s set some clear areas in which we can take on the work of the Lord.  Our God is concerned with us caring for souls.  He wants us to grow in our walk and worship.  He also wants others to know Him as we know Him.  I want to be a faithful custodian in the work of the Lord.

A great read for anyone- Death by bullet or antifreeze

From Jason Holt’s website:

Death by bullet or antifreeze

December 1st, 2011 · 5 Comments · Missionary thoughts, missions, South America

A few years back a lady in my home town was convicted of murdering two men.  Her weapon of choice was antifreeze.  Death by antifreeze is slow and virtually undetectable by the victim.   Its sweet taste makes an easy cover to disguise the poison.  She slowly added antifreeze to the food of both her victims, until they were dead!  A bullet is a completely different story.  When a gun is fired and a bullet explodes into the victim’s chest, everyone nearby notices!   Either way though, with enough antifreeze or bullets, you can successfully murder anyone.

I often hear people refer to the religious setting in Latin America as ‘much better’ than that of Asia or Africa.  As if Latin America’s religious ’poison of choice’ was somehow better than the deceptions propagated in other areas. Somehow Chile’s religious makeup  (70% Catholic, 15% of evangelical, 8% non-religious, 1% Jehovah Witness, 6% other – source) constitutes a ‘much better’ scenario than that of India (80% Hindu, 13% Muslim, 2% Christian, 5% other- source).  On the surface it seems to be decisively clear – Chile is much better off than India.  Let’s see if that is the case.

A closer look at the 400 million Catholics in Latin America (roughly 70% of 572,039,894)

Most of my readers would agree wholeheartedly that Roman Catholicism does not teach the gospel.  The Catholic church teaches salvation based on our good deeds.  The Bible, on the other hand, teaches we are justified by grace alone and not because of our works or deeds.  Although the Catholic church looks a lot more Biblical than a Hindu temple, they will both lead you to hell.  For a closer look at the Catholic church’s teachings, read Understanding Roman Catholicismby Rick Jones.

A closer look at the 85 million Evangelical Protestants in Latin America (roughly 15% of 572,039,894)

The Evangelical churches of Latin America are ravaged by neo-pentecostal extremism and the prosperity gospel.  Let’s unpack those ideas.  Nearly every pentecostal church service in Latin America will focus entirely on the extreme sign gifts culminating in an emotional euphoria with speaking in tongues, healings, exorcisms, prophesies, and visions.  Their typical Sunday service would look like a Benny Hinn crusade on steroids.  The gospel is not emphasized and often never mentioned.  When the “gospel” is discussed, it’s shrouded in the heresies of the prosperity gospel.  This false-gospel teaches that spiritually is equated with being healthy and wealthy.  In this man-centered theology, God becomes a puppet that you can control if you believe hard enough.  These charlatan groups, like the United Church of the Kingdom of God, insist the poor can solve all their spiritual, emotional and physical problems by giving their money to the church.  On the surface the influx of evangelical churches in Latin America looks attractive, but most are no better than the Catholic church.

In countries like India the idolatry is so flagrant and prevalent that every casual Christian could identify it from miles away.  In Latin America, Satan’s strategy has been to subtly mix the Bible with lies.  The Latin American version taste ‘sweet’, but it will kill you – just like antifreeze.

Spiritually speaking, which is better: death by bullet or antifreeze?

Not all are winners in the back of the Book

I am reading the book of Revelation in my daily reading.  (I hope you have a daily plan to read through the Bible.)  I am always amazed as I read this book of the Bible and see just how terrible it will become on earth.  However, as bad as it will become here on earth, it pales in comparison to what hell will be for those who reject God’s salvation.

It is so common to go through our daily lives and skip over the fact that “…wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:”.  Look at the city of Santiago, Chile.  There is 7 million people in the greater Santiago area.

 

ARE WE SEEING THIS?  ARE WE LETTING THIS FACT CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE?  It says “many there be which go” to heaven.  In the past few decades we have seen a fast move in the direction in America to make everyone a “winner” in the end.  Children can’t play a game and lose because it will make them feel bad.  This mentality is prevalent in the self-help books for grown ups in our bookstores.  It is wrong.  Not everyone is going to be rescued from the penalty of their sin.

Let’s be honest and open about our need for God.  Let’s not walk around acting like we are self-made people because we are not.  We were hell bound, hell deserving worms before God reached down and rescued us.  But there are others that are blinded by the Devil.  There is no hope of their escape unless someone goes and shares the clear Gospel with them.  Yes, in the back of the book we win.  We also read about those who do not win.  Let’s love God.  Let’s love His Book. Let’s go and share His Book with those headed to destruction.

Men Needed to Fill the Positions

Check out this article…

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/NEWS/311120091/Some-fear-megachurch-bubble-burst

Please note the following statement:

Most megachurches – which earn that label around the 2,000-attendance level – are led by baby boomer pastors who soon will hit retirement age and (note this) without suitable replacements in the pipeline.

Not having men that are being trained in the megachurches is a real problem.  But, let’s not stop there.  Let’s be honest.  That is also a HUGE problem in many of our churches that are not running 2,000+.

If you are a pastor, please, train men.  Even if you are no where near retirement age.  Train men for ministry.  Make your church, by God’s grace, a godly-man-producing-factory.  It’s all God, yes!  He has to save them, give them the desire to preach and move them forward in spiritual growth.  The same story though must include some men that will preach the Gospel, exemplify biblical preaching and lovingly lead these men as they grow.

If you are a man that loves God… jump into the Word and the work of the church.  Get experience.  Start wherever you can help out in the church.  Learn to be dependable in the areas of turning lights on, fixing toilets.  I know many men that started there and ended up pastoring.  Love the Lord.  Love your church.  Love your family.  We need some men to step forward and be willing to move forward in the work of the Lord.

Why not start this now.  Sign up for the Summit.  It is going to be in Gatlinburg, TN this Dec. 29-31.  Bring your wife.  Tell her that God is working and you want to learn some more at the Summit.  I want to see you there.

 

Ewing Family Update

Dear Praying Friends, Supporting Churches and Family,

We are so blessed to know Jesus as our Savior and to make Him known.  We want to share with you all the goodness of the Lord in our lives.  God has been so real to us during the time that Elizabeth has been sick.  Thank you all for your love and support during this medical furlough.  Elizabeth is doing much better since our arrival in the States.  Olivia, our newest addition to the family, was born August 2 and she also is doing very well.

I want to share with you all the leading of the Lord for our family and our ministry.  Due to the leadership of the Lord, we are making a field of service change from Indonesia to the country of Chile.  We are now church planting missionaries to the country of Chile.  Elizabeth and I are excited about this leading of the Lord.  Our hearts desire is to see people saved and churches established.  Please continue to pray for us as we seek to honor the Lord in all that we say and do.  We will be updating you all as we make preparations for our move to Chile.

I have spoken with many of our supporting pastors already and will be getting in touch with the other ones that I have not reached yet.  Thank you to our supporting churches for your desire to continue partnering with us as we now head to Chile.  We are humbled that you would help us reach others for Christ.  We would not be able to do this ministry without you all supporting us.

We will begin our work in Chile by working with our good friends Jason and Lori Holt as well as other families in Santiago, Chile.  Our desire is to work together to see a church planting movement happen in Santiago, Chile that will spread out to other cities in Chile.

Looking forward to what the Lord has in store for our family and our ministry.

 

In His Service,

Josh and Elizabeth Ewing – Hannah, Joseph and Olivia