Savings Group Launch in Haiti

Many years ago my pastor at the time, Lon Solomon, encouraged the congregation with the value of reading the biographies of great men and women of God.

One such individual that I have grown to greatly admire is the late Bishop J.C. Ryle, described as “bold as a lion for the truth of God’s Word and his Gospel.”

I thought of Ryle as we recently celebrated launching our Savings Groups program in 11 churches in the central plateau region of Haiti.

Bishop Ryle famously stated,

Empires have risen and fallen in rapid succession. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Tyre, Carthage, Rome, Greece, Venice–where are all these now? They were all the creations of man’s hand, and have passed away. But the Church of Christ lives on.

Amidst the chaos in our world and notably in the nation of Haiti, Christ continues to build His Church.

Visit from Cuban Ministry Partners

For the past two weeks, we have had the privilege of hosting our ministry partners from Cuba. The pandemic and unrest in their home country delayed the trip for almost two years. During this time, we have reflected on and resonated with Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, “asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you” (Rom. 1:10).

It has been a joyful, profitable reunion of encouraging and equipping these faithful men for “the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Our prayer is that the Lord graciously use this time to create generational transformation within and through the Cuban church. As Paul entreated Timothy to take the divine revelation that he had received and teach it to other faithful men with proven spiritual character and giftedness, who would, in turn, pass on those truths to a new generation, our prayer is that this process of spiritual reproduction, which began in the early church, would take place in Cuba in the years to come.

Below is a personal message from Church Network Development director Raydel Riquelme of gratitude for your support.

Many thanks for your partnership in ministry!

Training the next generation of church leaders

This past weekend our staff had the privilege of facilitating a leadership retreat in the mountains of Jarabacoa for 90 youth and volunteers from across our partnering churches. This next generation of church leadership studied the book of Daniel using the Inductive Study Method. Join us in praying for the same faithful resolve amid opposition in these young people today demonstrated by Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Scripture.

D.L. Moody writes in The Overcoming Life regarding the impact of Daniel’s unwavering commitment to the Lord:

Many are mentioned in Scripture of whom we read that they lived so many years and then they died. The cradle and the grave are brought close together. They lived and they died, and that is all we know about them.

In these days, you could write on the tombstone of many professing Christians the date they were born and the date they died. There is nothing in between. However, you can’t bury a good man’s influence. It lives on. They have not buried Daniel. His influence is as great today as it ever was.

Our prayer for these young people, as well as young believers around the globe, echoes the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy,

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:12)

Living in Exile

The Apostle Peter writes,

“Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear” (1 Peter 1:17).

Many of us here in the United States feel as though we woke up one day in a foreign country with the seemingly overnight transformation of our nation.

There is undoubtedly much to pray for in that regard societally; however, amidst the cultural chaos, there is a spiritual truth being reinforced.

Our temporary physical surroundings are serving to remind us of an eternal spiritual reality: at salvation we become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Phil. 3:20), longing for our heavenly home (2 Cor. 5:2) and often, like Lot, distressed by the depraved conduct around us (2 Pet. 2:7).

Spurgeon’s comments are helpful in our efforts to live righteously as salt and light in the world (Luke 14:34-35; Matt. 5:14-16):

“You are only here for a while, you are sojourners, foreigners, pilgrims passing through a country where you have no abiding place; be therefore careful and even fearful lest you should become like the people among whom you dwell, have a holy dread of the contaminations of sin: ‘Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:’ Not in unbelieving fear, but in that holy carefulness which watches against sin of every kind lest in any way you should spoil your holy work for God.”

Carry on amidst the chaos…in holy carefulness, prayerful dependence, and heavenly expectancy!

PS: If you’re looking for further encouragement in your journey as a pilgrim, I highly recommend The New Pilgrim’s Progress, which features the late Warren Wiersbe’s study notes.

Sidelined by Theological Delusion

Sidlow Baxter writes, commenting on Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse, which was suffering from ingestion of heretical teaching that devalued Christ,

“Let no one think that this ‘disease’ which was symptomatic at long-ago Colosse has no meaning for our own days, that there is no fear of our being ‘haunted by the ghosts of dead heresies.’ In every generation one or another reappears in fresh garb and with new deceptiveness.”

Writing in response to Paul’s justification in verse 4 of “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments,” J.I. Packer wrote,

“Sad experience shows that bad theology infects the heart with misbelief and unbelief, the spiritual equivalents of multiple sclerosis!

Many who ran well have been progressively paralyzed through ingesting bad theology, and the danger remains.”

Amidst a seemingly ever-increasing scene of “fallen runners of the faith,” our efforts center on anchoring church leaders in sound doctrine, in order that they may run with excellence, and to completion, the race set out before them.

Prayer for Cuba and Haiti

Ten years ago, prior to Empowering Action, a friend passed along to me a poem by missionary Amy Carmichael, which, in reference to Israel’s miraculous crossing of the Jordan River in Joshua 3, stated the following:

“You and I may be called again and again to walk right into our own ‘rivers,’ whatever they may be-to wet our feet in them. We may be called to do what nobody understands except those to whom the word of guidance is given-and with it, His promise too.”

The years of EA have been a testament to the principle that where God guides…He provides. His provision has included, not merely the continued financial generosity of our supporters, but also key leaders and ministry partners, which have enabled us to have a breadth of ministry beyond our greatest expectations.

Two of the countries in which we minister, Haiti and Cuba, are in the midst of chaos. As a result, we ask that you join us in praying for those brothers and sisters in Christ, mourning with those who mourn (Rom. 12:15), interceding on their behalf (1 Tim. 2:1) and petitioning for God’s provision of divine strength, amidst diversity, to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).

Pictured below are pastors of Haitian churches within the Dominican Republic, planning and praying earlier this week, alongside our staff, for EA’s efforts to serve Christ’s Church in their home country.

In the video below Pastor Widmy Mervilus, who directs our Savings Groups Program, asks that we also pray for political stability and societal righteousness, which exalts a nation (Prov. 14:34).

Christ’s Church: the Pillar and Buttress of Truth

Empowering Action exists to equip the global church for greater biblical fidelity and ministry effectiveness. A logical question then is, “What is the measure of a church?” Is it love, community engagement, cultural relevance, or unity? Sadly, there are many who, this very day, will be enticed to unbiblical cults for those very reasons.

No, it is a church’s doctrine that determines its faithfulness for, as Dr. Steve Lawson notes, “in the Christian life, precept comes before practice and doctrine before duty.”

A lifetime ago in college a last minute schedule change necessitated my enrolling in a Sacred Architecture course. Truthfully, I don’t recall much from the experience other than some basics (and my liberal professor’s displeasure for my project on the Old Testament tabernacle.) However, I did glean that pillars support the roof and walls of a structure, and a buttress supports a pillar, enabling it to stand stronger and higher.

I mention this because Paul makes clear in the passage below that the mission of the Church is to support and uphold the truth of God revealed in Scripture,

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:14-15)

Writing to an Ephesian church that, after his departure, had begun to implode as a result of abandoning sound doctrine and embracing false teaching, Paul wisely uses an architectural image to inhabitants of a city that contained the pagan Temple of Diana, an architectural wonder of bulwarking foundations supporting a massive roof with 127 pillars.

Whereas Diana’s temple, and its foundation and pillars, were a testimony to the error and deception of Rome’s false religion, Christ’s Church throughout the ages is called to be the living support of the inerrant, all-sufficient, authoritative revelation of Scripture.

We at Empowering Action labor to that end, and greatly appreciate your ongoing prayer and financial support of our efforts in “holding fast the word of life.” (Phil. 2:16)

Truth: Out of Fashion

Fashions come and go.  And often that’s a good thing.  [Think rat-tails and Hammer pants]

 Truth does not.

 Yet objective truth has fallen out of fashion. And that is unquestionably a very bad thing for a society.

 Our world generally views the biblical truths of Christianity to have no bearing on society.  Believers know otherwise. The truth of God’s law, in addition to its role in salvation and sanctification, also benefits societies adhering to its principles. 

 There is a preserving quality for a society to just principles and actions, as defined by Scripture.

 Proverbs 14:34 states, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”

 One biblical scholar defined truth as that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God.

 The Old Testament refers to the Almighty as the “God of truth” (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 31:5; Isaiah 65:16), and in the New Testament Jesus said of Himself, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6). In doing so, Jesus not only made a profound claim about His own deity, but also made it clear that all truth must ultimately be defined in terms of God.*

 So, in our current contentious environment, in which societal forces push to segment and isolate us, let me offer up some universal truths from God’s Word:

 All humans are equal in terms of:

  • our creation (Genesis 1:28),
  • our sin problem (Romans 3:23),
  • our impending judgment (Hebrews 9:27),
  • God’s love for us (John 3:16),
  • God’s provision of salvation (Matthew 28:19),
  • God’s providential control of our circumstances (Acts 17:26-28),
  • God’s worthiness of our reverential obedience and love (Romans 12:1-2).**

References:

* https://www.gty.org/library/Articles/A379/19031005-19031005

** 90 Days Through the New Testament by Ron Rhodes

How can I pray for EA?

People often ask me, “How can I pray for the ministry?”

A small portion from a short New Testament epistle provides an answer:

The Apostle Paul may have spent as little as three weeks in the Greek city of Thessalonica on his second missionary journey, but the encouraging report he received from Timothy motivated him to pen the book of 1 Thessalonians.

Amidst expressing his joy over the spiritual transformation of the Thessalonian Christians, Paul also found it necessary to answer false charges from troublemakers regarding his character and message. It’s within that rebuttal we find two descriptions that can serve as a template in praying for the church leaders that EA has the privilege to serve:

  • “…we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” (2:7)
  • “…like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” (2:11-12)

Would you join us in praying that each of the leaders, involved in any of our four programs, would grow in their biblical acumen as well as the leadership ability to faithfully shepherd their flock, nurturing as a mother, and encouraging and exhorting as a father.

Happy Passion Week!

I had the privilege of preaching today at our church on The Triumphant Entry of Palm Sunday.

As I shared, Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem represented the following three things in the life of Christ:

  1. A UNIQUE SITUATION: As it was the only occasion when Jesus accepted the public recognition of King. As an example, recall what occurred after the Feeding of the 5,000:

     

    “So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.” (John 6:15)

  2.  A DEFINING MOMENT: By riding into Jerusalem as he did, fulfilling the Old Testament prophesy of Zechariah 9:9, Jesus was unmistakably claiming to be the Messiah and King of Israel.

     

    Remember, previously, he had “warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ” (Matt. 16:20) and “told his disciples and others around him, ‘My time has not yet come.’” (John 2:4; 7:6,8)

  3. A POINT OF NO RETURN: As Andreas Köstenberger notes,

     

    “Up to this point in Jesus’ ministry, he could have still managed to live a long, happy, peaceful life, but his actions on Sunday set in motion a series of events that could result only in either his overthrow of Rome and religious establishment or his brutal death. He has crossed the point of no return; there would be no turning back. Caesar could allow no rival kings.”

As Christians, we are called to live all year in the shadow of the cross; however, let me encourage you to make a concerted effort this Passion Week to reflect upon the specifics of this paramount week in Jesus’ life and our salvation.

Click here for some great resources on the Ligonier website!