Monday, October 27, 2014

Another Karen Visitor


This is Mu Htee pictured with my wife. She was my wife's visitor this past Sunday morning. Mu Htee is of Karen nationality coming to America several years ago by way of Thailand. Our city has a large population of these people. I have a real burden for them, as well as countless other nationalities. Our missionary to Thailand; Dr. Robert Bowen is currently helping us locate Karen tracts and Bibles. Lincoln is the fifth largest Asian refugee relocation center in the Untied States of America. There is a great need for a man with a burden to help us reach this resource of people right here in Lincoln, please pray for us about this matter.

Our overall Sunday was a good day with good attendance. We had 136 in Sunday school and brought in 59 on the buses. We had two public professions of faith made at the invitation time Sunday morning. After the services I was at home waiting for my wife to serve lunch when my phone rang. I noticed it was a church member so I answered it right away. The member was very excited in their voice and was asking me to come to the hospital right away. He told me he had a friend who was going to die in the next few hours and wanted me to come and pray for him about accepting Jesus as his Saviour.

I had my wife hold my lunch and I arrived at the hospital in less than 20 minutes. Upon my arrival I saw our church member that had called me in the hallway with tears in his eyes. I thought perhaps his friend had already passed. He told me that he had not, but he just had to stay out in the hallway for now. When I came into the room they had two nurses in there along with a room full of family members. This man was a Sudanese man from out of town and one of the nurses who appeared to be Sudanese also was speaking to him in Arabic.

I then introduced myself and made my way through the crowd of people to the bed side. One of the ladies in the crowd had been saved and baptized at our church several years ago and told the people to "make way the pastor is coming through." Once at the bed side, I asked immediately if the man understood English. They responded that he did. I was able to get groaning responses and head nods to my questions. I began immediately to present the gospel to the man. He indicated with a head nod and a groan that he wanted to trust Christ. I was able to lead him through a sinners pray and asked him if he had prayed that prayer and accepted Christ. He nodded his head that he did. I was also able to lead his wife and his cousin to Christ before I left. Thank God for a Saviour who saves them right at the end of of their life just like the thief on the cross! God is a gracious God!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Not Forgotten Among the Trophies of Grace

So often we get excited about those we might consider to be "trophies of grace." I am referring to those who perhaps are saved from a life of gross sin and we might call them a trophy of grace and they are. However, we must never forget about the members kid who is raised in the home of faithful parents. They are just as important as anybody else when they come to Christ.

This past Sunday we had three trophies of grace as far as I am concerned. All three of them were just as important as the other. A Karen teenager from Burma named Zin got saved a few Thursday nights ago and got baptized. A Liberian lady named Lucy got saved Saturday and baptized on Sunday. Then a members kid named James (from America ~ ha) got saved several months ago and baptized Sunday night. James was so young (age 4) that I recommended we wait a few months to make sure he understands. We did and at age 5 now, he still stuck with the same testimony in good detail.

Some might think the first two I mentioned are really great and they are, but the third one is no less important. The members kid is just as important. I say Praise God for all three and congratulations to all three!
 
James

Zin

Lucy

Monday, October 13, 2014

Great Weekend with One of Our Missionaries

Dr. Bowen preaching morning service.
We had an absolutely fantastic weekend with Dr. Bob Bowen our missionary to Southeast Asia. We had 29 saved for the week and 8 public professions made on Sunday morning with 141 in attendance for Sunday school. Then Sunday night we had one saved and at the invitation she followed the Lord in believers baptism. It was a fantastic weekend!

Dr. Bowen preached Sunday morning and Sunday night a two part message on "What the Lord will look for when he returns?" The answer is faith! Praise God many great decisions were made.

The Gropp's on their anniversary!
In fact Sunday morning during the invitation, Dr. Bowen was able to lead a man from Iraq to Christ! Praise God for that too! Also, on Sunday morning my wife caught a picture of Rob and Mary Gropp who were celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary. What a place to celebrate, at church, amen!

Trisha getting ready to get baptized!
Then on Sunday night Trisha (a first time visitor brought by a new convert of my wife's) got saved and baptized. Dr. Bowen preached part of the time with a hanker chief on his head to represent a crown. He kept it on for a long time until he realized I was taking his picture. Ha!

Dr. Bowen preaching about crowns with Bro. Looper standing in line who didn't have one. Ha!