Entrusted With the Gospel

Do you crave the Bible (in preaching)?

2009-09-27T16:19:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the great privilege of sitting down for most of the day to read (for a class, yes, but reading none the less). As I read about the life of Calvin and his endeavors as he served as a pastor in Geneva, I was astounded by the volume of his work and time that went into his congregation. Allow me to share with you from T.H.L. Parker's Biography of John Calvin (p.118-119):

...We can trace his preaching: on Sundays with one hundred and eighty-nine sermons on Acts between 1549 and 1554, a shorter series on some of the Pauline letters between 1554 and 1558, and the sixty-five on the harmony of the Gospels between 1559 and 1564. During this time the week days saw series on Jeremiah and Lamentations (up to 1550), on the minor prophets and Daniel (1550-52), the one hundred and seventy-four on Ezekiel (1552-1554), the one hundred and fift-nine on Job (1554-55), the two hundred on Deuteronomy and twenty-three on Genesis (1559-61), a short set on Judges (1561), one hundred and seven on I Samuel and eighty-seven on II Samuel (1561-63) and a set on I Kings (1563-64).

And if you will read this carefully:

Before [you] smile at such activity of the pulpit the reader would do well to ask himself whether he would prefer to listen to the second-hand views on a religion of social ethics, or the ill-digested piety, delivered in slipshod English, that he will hear today in most churches of whatever denomination he may enter, OR three hundred and forty-two sermons on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, sermons born of an infinite passion of faith and a burning sincerity, sermons luminous with theological sense, lively with wit and imagery, showing depths of compassion and the unquenchable joyousness of hope. Those in Geneva who listened Sunday after Sunday, day after day, and did not shut their ears, but were 'instructed, admonished, exhorted, and censured', received a training in Christianity such as had been given to few congregations in Europe since the days of the fathers.

Brothers, let us learn to yearn and hunger for the Bible. God's word speaks in the mouths of men who are faithful, and we would do well to be ministers of those words which bring life through the proclamation of the Gospel of the grace of Christ. Let us pray that God will open doors for faithful men to speak in the authority of Jesus name,
Amen

Seed sowers or reapers?

2009-07-28T01:36:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

This morning I sit in my office reflecting on faithfulness to the Gospel, God's faithfulness, and our desire to see the fruit of that work. I wrestle with how I am to leave this place that I have poured the last 9 weeks of my life into, and what I should be able to see. I am comforted by a truth which John Piper articulates in his book, "The Supremacy of God in Preaching" and he says this:

"The true usefulness of our [work] will not be known to us until each fruit on all the branches on all the trees that have sprung up from all the seeds we've sown has fully ripened in eternity."

Let us join hands in being sowers and, should God graciously bless us to behold some of the blossoms on those trees, let us thank Him. Until then, let us press on and wait with hopeful expectation that we might stand with those who will be saved.

"As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in the truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word..." -Jesus [john17.18-20]

Lord, help us to be faithful in Jesus name. Amen.

A look to the finish

2009-07-23T08:04:00.001-07:00

Dear Church Family and Friends,

I hope and pray that this finds you all well. Our God has been faithful to save us and to show us His grace again and again, and my heart resonates with His message that "even youths grow faint and weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; BUT they who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31) God has been mighty to save and He is and will be mighty to sustain His people. Let us join together in waiting with hopeful expectation of Christ's return and glory.

One might look at what I just said, and then look at the place that I am writing this from, and call me a fool. So be it. But I have seen my God work; and I have seen His word not return void (Isaiah 55:11); and I have seen light shine into darkness; and I have seen eyes opened; and hearts made new; and hope take hold in places where everything screams "hopelessness". Even now, downstairs I can hear babies crying as they wait for our Social Concerns Ministry doctor to see them, and people wait outside for the only meal they may have today. Thankfully, the winter seems to be subsiding and the sun is shining again in Africa, but life must go on. We continue to work together here, with wearying bodies and hearts that bear heavy burdens. We go on in the faith that God has placed us here, and we must continue to press on, knowing that our brothers and sisters around the world are praying for us.

Pastor Bell has been preaching these last 2 weeks on evangelism, and the message from the first week was looking at the Bible's stress on prayer: (1) For God to save; (2) for workers to come; (3) for the strength of those workers; (4) and for the faithfulness of those workers. There was more to the sermon, but I was impacted to pray for those things. Please continue to pray for us, for more to rise up and help, for our strength, for our faithfulness, and ultimately for God to save those on whom His Gospel falls.

As for me, I have been blessed (once again echoing my colleague, Tom) in my ministry to the young people with whom I have been working. Currently, I am leading a young men's fellowship where we are studying the Bible in regards to manhood. We just finished the Old Testament portion and will begin to look at Jesus in the Gospel of John tomorrow. One of my guys ended in prayer last week with these words, "Our mighty God, thank you for your Word and for the way that you have taught me so many things about becoming a man. Thank you for helping me to understand the importance of the cross and what that means for our lives. Help us to be faithful men..." --When I feel weary of my work, I remember prayers like "...thank you for helping me to understand the importance of the cross..." and I praise Him from whom all blessing flow.

I also lead a Bible study with a small group of young men and women, who volunteer here at the church, working through the Gospel of John. That has been such a great study, and I would ask you to pray for M**. She is one of my most faithful members to that study and she is truly born again. She comes from a catholic background, and is eager to learn about what the Bible teaches. I go in confidence that she will continue to read and learn after I go, but you can pray for her and praise God for the work He has done in her life.

At CBC, we host the Rafiki Girls Foundation, which is a 6-month training program for teenage girls who come from very destitute backgrounds. The hope is that they come in as girls and leave as young ladies. This has been running for about 7 years, and we just accepted a new class of 26 girls. This morning at our staff meeting, I heard a staggering figure: that of the 26 girls, 1 has both her parents, 16 have 1 parent, and the rest are orphaned. I have been blessed with having the opportunity to share with them from the Word on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until I leave. Many of them have never heard the Bible taught, and so my task is bigger than just sharing from the word presumptuosly--I may be the first to ever tell them about the one God, Yahweh, and the person and work of Christ. I would ask for your prayers for clarity as I seek to use every opportunity to share with them. You can also pray for my colleague, Sholeen (SHOW-leen), whose job is to work and direct this program.

[<--Insert interruption here: Sholeen and I just drove downtown (2 blocks away) and on our way, I just asked her what could be prayed about at Rafiki. She answered with a heavy heart and told me that many of the girls have some hard times ahead of them. Finances are the biggest issue, for basic things like food and shoes. One girl (orphaned) came to Sholeen this week and told her that her guardian and her aunt could no longer financially support her, and they told her that they would bring men to the house for her to "sell her services" to, so that she could keep the money and eat.* I hope that you just had to re-read that sentence and grope with the reality and horror of it. We would covet your prayers here.]

Dear brothers and sisters, I am so thankful for the way that you have supported me up to this point. I look forward to re-joining you in fellowship, and do not be surprised when you see tears in my eyes when we do. The Gospel is of first importance, and you may rejoice that God has given me opportunities here, and among my brothers and sisters here, to proclaim it.

My plans for the rest of my time include a couple more preaching opportunities (please pray especially on the 9th of August) and the continuation of the Bible studies I am doing with the young people. My parents and girlfriend, Jewel, will join me on the 7th of August in Harare, and I look forward to having that time to share with them and take a bit of a rest for a few days, before flying back to the States on the 21st of August.

I have so many stories to tell about the families I have had a chance to live with, and the people I have had a chance to be encouraged by. I have met many pastors who are eager to share what God has been doing in their lives, and in the lives of their churches. More can and will be said about that later. Until then, please continue to pray that I will use the last few weeks of my time faithfully and fervently. You are all a blessing to me.

Resting in His grace

Mike

--
...and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. [2Tim2:2]

Blog: http://entrustedwiththegospel.blogspot.com/
Twitter: evansmike

Early morning hikes...

2009-07-13T10:41:00.001-07:00

I thought I would share some good times I had with a few friends in Mutoko a few weeks ago... This was a hike we shared before sunrise.

A prison sentence : and a life made new

2009-07-13T00:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Church Family and Friends,

It is Monday morning, and as I sit in my office, sipping a hot cup of tea on a cold winter morning, I am blessed by the testimony of a new found brother in Christ.

When I arrived 5 weeks ago, there was a young man, 22 years old, names Speaklo ("speak-low"), who had just been released from prison after 6 years in the pen. He had been arrested for breaking and entering a house. (If you just did the math, be went in when he was 16 years old.) Speaklo has a 3rd grade education and very poor English.

CBC had a chance a few months back to go a visit the prisons and share the truth of Christ with the men in there. Speaklo was one of those men. He received a Bible and a few tracts and He held on to what he learned as much as He could grasp.

When he was released, he came and found our church and wanted to know more. Tom has been faithful to share with him and disciple him and see him nurtured in the word.

Speaklo loves to come to my office and share the Scriptures that he has been learning--he sits down and just reads verse after verse that he has memorized and taken to heart. He is amazed that he has a 3rd grade education and, yet, is able to understand the Bible!

This morning, he shared 2 verses with me:
Daniel 2:20-22 "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes time and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him."

and Romans 5:8,20 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us . . . Now the law came in to increase the tresspass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."

Amen. Speaklo has repented and he has held on to this message of grace. Praise the Lord for adding another to our family. Today, he is studying to take his (the equivalent of his GED) math exams and he has made reconciliation with his family AND the family of the home that he robbed 6 years ago. Praise God that He has used the foolish things of this world to shame the wise.

Grace and peace to you
Mike

Gluttony : a mark of this world

2009-07-12T08:13:00.001-07:00

So I have just finished indulging myself in the choice sandwich from my favorite chicken restaurant in the world: Nando's Chickenworld. Words fall short to describe the combination of Portugese Piri-piri hot sauce, mayonaise, flame grilled chicken, served on a fresh Portugese bread roll with lettuce.

In a moment of weakness and lonliness, I bought two (since I did not have my faithful girlfriend, Jewel, to stand by me and say, "No, Mike").

Now, I sit in my house, mouth still bearing the burn marks from the Piri-piri, and I feel less than satisfied with my two glorified chicken sandwiches resting uneasily in my belly. Is this yet another sign of my depravity?

Silly... maybe... But again and again I am reminded of my need for satisfaction in my God who has unstoppably crossed the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3) and leveled mountains and raised valleys in order to show me His great power and glory in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6) on the cross. I have been rescued and I have been saved and restored to life next to my Savior, Jesus.

Can I help but fall on my face before such a God? Can I help but cry out again when I find myself returning to my sin that so easily entangles me? Can I help but find comfort in knowing that God is bringing a new world where there will be no more sin, where our warfare is ended; where our iniquity is pardoned; and we fully recieve the blessings of adoption by God?

Lord, help us to realise these truths again, day to day. Forgive us for our sins that have offended you (including gluttony over a chicken sandwich). Guide us by your Spirit and open our eyes to the hope realised in Christ. Thank you for the cross. In Jesus name, Amen.

Where is the tea?

2009-07-11T01:52:00.001-07:00

This lady in the middle cried when she saw us coming to her house. She couldn't believe that we would come and find her to see how she was doing. She is currently suffering from a cold because she cannot keep warm enough with the winter cold. As we were leaving, she said in English that she wished that she had some sugar and tea to serve us.

photos from the other side

2009-07-11T01:50:00.001-07:00

This beautiful lady has suffered from a stroke and no longer has the use of the right side of her body. We heard about her through our Social concerns ministry when her 16 year old daughter came and told us about the situation at home.

What a home!

2009-07-11T01:48:00.001-07:00

This home is filled with 7 beautiful children, who are fully cared for by their mother. We had a chance to assist them with some food on our visit to Epworth last Friday.

Where are the parents?

2009-07-11T01:46:00.001-07:00

This is a family I visited in Epworth last Friday--These children live with their grandparents because their mother has passed away and their father with with another woman.

update #4

2009-07-06T08:20:00.001-07:00

Dear Church Family and Friends,

I hope that this finds you well. What a week this has been (last week that is). I have asked you to join me in prayer concerning a few situations I have found myself in, and the Lord has brought answers in ways that are beyond my wisdom to understand. But I affirm that in all things, God remains Lord of All and the source of strength to those who seek him earnestly.

I have asked you to pray for M****. She is doing better. A few members and I went to her house on Wednesday morning and found her near death, as she had grown so weak and the bitter cold has taken a toll on her energy and health. We were able to assist her to see a doctor and find medical help. She is now back at home and (supposedly) eating well and staying warm. I intend to follow up with her tomorrow and check and see what her continuing needs are. I also mentioned that she is a brilliant mathematician and she is unemployed--and the Lord has been so good to provide her with some part-time work through another member in the church here. All praise be to God, His love endures forever!

I also brought T******'s mother to you and asked you to pray that she might recover. The Lord has answered our prayers in another way, and I received a call from T****** on Friday morning, informing me that she had passed away. He and I are close friends from high school, and I had the privilege of spending every evening with him at the ICU last week as we prayed together and leaned upon one another in our hope in Christ. I was able to go see the family on Saturday morning, in a very traditional setting for mourning at the family home. T****** needs your prayers. His step-father and he are not close, and he is the only son of his father. All other children belong to the step-father, and T***** faces neglect from the family, now that his mother is gone. I plan on meeting with him after the burial tomorrow and to spend time with him until I leave at the end of the summer. Pray that I will have the wisdom to say what needs to be said, and to hold my tongue where it is not appropriate. May Christ be honored in all things.

Friday, I also had the opportunity to go into a local township to do some home visitations from our Social Concerns ministry. I and a few other members were able to visit 7 families and see their home situations. My eyes were opened and my heart was touched by the things I saw. But the Lord blessed our time on Friday and I hope that we have more opportunities to share the truth with these families.

Sunday evening, I had an opportunity to preach our evening service at CBC, and I preached on John 3:1-15 (Jesus conversation with Nicodemus). It was difficult on my part. I say that honestly. But I feel that the Truth was communicated and Christ was made clear. I have received some good responses and Pastor Bell and I have had a chance to sit down and discuss it. I am so blessed to sit and learn from such a faithful man, and his intent for me is to see me as a workman approved and equipped to fulfill the tasks set before me. For that I am thankful.

And TODAY, I had a chance to visit some of our local prisons and deliver a ton (exactly) of food to the prisoners there. We visited a men's prison and a women's prison. Tom had a chance to share with them from Psalm 123 and Psalm 125. The response seemed good, but one lady commented from the crowd that "it is so hard to feel like God is still with us when we are in such a desperate place, like prison". I might add that the main prison sentence for women, is women who have committed infanticide. The situation here is dire, and they are in a hard place. Prison in Africa is dark. Please pray that these women come to a saving knowledge of who Jesus is, whether by our visits, or by the visits of others.

Dear brothers and sisters, I am so thankful for the words of encouragement that you have shared with me, and I am thankful for your prayers that accompany me everyday. This week looks to present new challenges, and my prayer is that I might learn and submit myself to rest in Christ and His strength as He provides it day by day. I love you all and look forward to sending you some more pictures. Be sure to check out the blog http://entrustedwiththegospel.blogspot.com for more pictures. I will try not to bog down yor inboxes with all of the photos.

In the grace of Christ
Mike

picture #1

2009-07-01T10:22:00.001-07:00

This is my ox. I've been driving this everyday to and from work. Thank Mr. Mac!

update #3

2009-07-01T00:24:00.001-07:00

Dear Church Family and friends,
I greet you all in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I hope that you are well, and learning to trust in the ever-faithfulness of our God during these hard times, both here and abroad.

I am afraid I have made so much of sitting down to write, that I have postponed and procrastinated too long. So let me give you a short update followed by my vision for keeping you up to date.

First of all, I am doing well. I am currently working about 6 days a week at the church, doing Bible studies with some of the young people, helping with our feeding and social concerns ministry, teaching in the evenings in a lay-Bible course on the New Testament, and preaching occasionally at youth services or church services.

Pastor Bell, whom I am working under, has been away for the last 3 weeks in the States and the UK, so I have been left to get my feet wet and establish some of the work that I will continue to do. The Lord has been so good to provide me with opportunities for service, and to share the Gospel wherever I am able to be. I find myself having to draw deeply from the well of grace, but our God has been good to fill me daily in His Word and through fellow church members here.

This morning, I am sitting in my office (yes, I have an office) deeply grieved and moved by some present circumstances. Yesterday, I received and call from a young lady in the congregation who was asking for help and maybe some financial assistance. Her name is M****. She is a Actuarial mathematician who is currently unemployed and alone without any family. Her call yesterday was a plea for help, as she has been sick and hungry for weeks. I and another member went to her house to find her barely able to speak from her weakness. We have started taking care of her, and today I will be taking her to seek medical assistance.

A couple of days ago, I was walking down the street by Avenues Hospital, when a fellow high school friend, named T******, came up beside me, surprised that he was seeing me. He reported that he was waiting outside the ICU as his mom had just delivered a 13lb baby and was in dire need of some blood and other things (I don't know all of the terminology). BUT the problem was that the hospital has none of those. He was supposed to leave on Monday to go to university in South Africa after waiting for this last year for the right finances. Now, he is waiting with his mother to see what happens next. I will be going this afternoon to sit with him and see what I can help with.

Day by day, the Lord provides me with the graces I need to go on, but I will be honest that I am tired. As I write this, my eyes are filled with tears by the things that I have seen and the pain that I am surrounded by. HIV/AIDS is rampant, and the needs are great, even among our church family here. My eyes are being opened to what it means to oversee the flock, to meet one another's needs (even as I have sat here, a family has come in to give me some money as a gift), to care for widows and orphans and the fatherless, to see each of these to maturity in Christ, to teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, to read the Bible together and to eagerly long for the return of Christ. More and more, my heart is being turned toward the needs of God's people as they cry out for relief, and they gather as a church body to lean on one another, hoping that they will have the faith to persevere tomorrow.

Dear family, I covet your prayers today and I ask that you would pray that I have the strength for today. I am preaching twice this weekend and finding time to study has been hard. On friday, I am preaching from Ruth on redemption and recognising God as our redeemer. Pray that that message will translate into truth to people's lives as they struggle against sin, and as we look forward in hope. On Sunday, I think I am going to preach on 2 Corinthians 5:21. Pray that these passages might pierce my heart so that I might tremble at the fear of God and awe at His goodness.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Resting in Christ,
Mike

small correction

2009-06-03T05:51:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to correct one small detail, my blog address is http://entrustedwiththegospel.blogspot.com/ . I think that the last link that I posted may have had an extra space in the link. Apologies for that.

Very quickly, I am sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Zimbabwe. I have just had a short stay with a couple of good friends from high school who, I am encouraged to say, are walking strongly and faithfully with the Lord and they are a light in the university where they are currently studying to become engineers. What a great way to begin my trip, and one in which I am affirmed again that this was the Lord's will for me to take.

In the name of Jesus our Lord,
Mike

newsletter #1

2009-06-02T04:26:00.001-07:00

Dear Church, Friends and Family,

It is only by your prayers that I have made it as far as I have in preparation for this trip. I am currently on my third flight (barely) in-route from Amsterdam to Jo'burg where I will stay with a couple of friends tonight before flying to my final destination of Harare tomorrow.

For those of you whom I have not had the chance to speak to about the summer, I am headed to Harare, Zimbabwe where I will be spending my time serving and walking alongside the pastors and elders of Central Baptist Church, learning -in whatever capacity- what it means to serve as a pastor in a church. As for this summer, I will be spending my time

with the youth group (3-2-1-Go)
with the young adults group
with a lay-Bible study at the church
involving myself in the church's Social Concerns Ministry (food distribution, medical distribution, counseling and traveling to fellow chuches to aid them with support)
and meeting regularly with Pastor John Bell and the elders to discuss pastoral ministry and what it means to be faithful as a pastor, to shepherd the flock entrusted to them, and to lead one's family as a model of the Gospel.

Now, as I sit on one of the last legs of my trip to Zimbabwe, I struggle inwardly with the unknowns of what lay ahead. It has been 3.5 years since I have been to Zimbabwe, and I am left to wonder at the destruction of the economy, corruption of politics, degradation of morality, decay of families and the standard of "normal". I dont know what I will see. I do know that there will be struggles.

And so I would ask you to pray for me and CBC (Central Baptist Church) now in that:

The Lord will teach me humility--that I need to be ready to learn and not be consumed with thinking that I possess all that there is to know and teach.
I will not grow weary from the task that lay ahead.
That my heart will be softened to love the people that I come in contact with in the next days.
That I will grow in my understanding of the Gospel in such a way that I will be able to speak it continually and applicably to those I meet, and that I might share my hope in Christ for a day where we, as believers, will be with Him and there will no longer be any effect of sin because Jesus as conquered all and made all things new by his death and resurrection on the cross.
And again--like no.1, that I will be humbly-teachable.

I thank you all for your continued support and I look forward to updating you, in such a way that you are informed and encouraged by what our God is doing in Zimbabwe, and so that you can pray.

This newsletter is also available on my blog (for those of you who are blog-savvy) at Entrusted With The Gospel. You should be able to subscribe to the RSS feed.

Resting in the Grace and Promises of Christ Jesus

Mike Evans