WORSHIP Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6
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water has 9 aiming the 3 worship is life 6 theno power spotlight
Jonah had been a headhunter, and when he publically declared his belief in Christ, many were amazed.
11 bravo, God
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God deserves our constant applause, no matter what form it comes in.
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The Siawis have accepted Christ. Now they want to be washed in His love.
14 verses in worship
Virgilio’s radical trust in God gave him courage to ignore cultural taboos.
The Palakas live among civil war. Amid the challenges and strife, they still sing praises to God.
A Closer Look: Worship, Man’s Greatest Thirst Pray Give Go
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Missionaries to the Field Celebrate
Worship is
Life W
hen the Yagaria believers in
Papua New Guinea did not know God’s truth, they worshipped spirits. Fear dominated every area of their lives. Now that they have trusted Christ, the love of Jesus permeates every area.
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Yagaria celebrate the arrival of God’s Word in their language
As they walk along the trails, sit in their homes or work in their gardens, they find reasons to praise God. Everywhere they look they see the wonders of God’s creation. Even before the Yagaria people fully understood salvation, they applied music to God’s Word. When missionaries taught evangelistic Bible lessons, the Yagarias wrote songs about them. “You would walk by their homes at night and hear songs about Abraham or Noah,” said Carol Kaptain, former missionary to the Yagaria people and now ministering worldwide helping NTM missionaries with Bible translation. Once the Yagarias trusted Christ, they started writing songs about their lives and about Him. A piece of sweet sugar cane became a reason for praising God. They sang about how wonderful He is and how He made the sugar cane sweet for them. When Carol moved to the Yagaria tribe as a single lady, Jonah, one of the first Yagaria believers, was her “tribal father.” They developed a close relationship and he watched over her like a daughter. Jonah had been a head-hunter and an important chief in the tribe. He had tremendous prowess as a warrior and killed many people. When he publically declared his belief in Christ, many were amazed and the Gospel was elevated among the people. Jonah became a joyous worshipper who delighted in singing about the Lord. Perhaps because of his former life, he was extremely grateful for his salvation.
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They sang about how wonderful He is and how He made the sugar cane sweet for them.
More than 3,000 attended the Yagaria Bible dedication
He was an orator when he trusted Jesus and used his gift to praise God. The former killer and head-hunter became an evangelist, witnessing to many other villages. He used his strong “orator’s voice” to tell others about Jesus and would compose long songs praising God. A few years ago, Jonah’s voice grew so weak he could barely talk. He told the Lord, “If you are not going to take me home, I want my voice back so I can praise You.” God honored that prayer and Jonah’s voice became as strong as ever and he was able to sing praises to God once again. — by Dena McMaster, contributing editor
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Wat er has
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no Power T
he river roared to life and the crowd of Siawis pushed in, straining to hear the voices of the people in the center of the river. The words, nearly drowned by the frothy surge, resonated in the souls listening. The Siawis were celebrating. They were living and believing in the salvation of their souls through the death of Jesus Christ. Fifty-nine believers chose to be baptized as an outward profession of their new-found faith in Christ. Fifty-nine believers understood and accepted His death on the cross. Fifty-nine believers stood small compared to their vast surroundings, but bright and clean and declaring the undeniable grace of God. Missionary Tom Brendle, weak with malaria, barely made it to the event, but the sight moved him. Other missionaries were ill as well. Shannon Swanson, with great determination, arrived in time despite her swollen ankle from a recent infection. Upon arrival, the Siawis and the missionaries were faced with a low water level in the river. The location could be moved further up the river to where the water was deeper, but the distance was significant. Siawi women, their arms full of food, and the missionaries suffering from illness and injury did not like the idea of leaving the initial spot. The Siawis were not discouraged. “It gave them an opportunity to trust that God would provide a solution,� Tom said. A few Siawi men trudged back and forth, constructing a simple dam of large rocks, leaves and mud. After a few hours of labor, the men were able to raise the water level to waist-deep in one spot of the river.
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“Praise God. It is all of Him and none of us,” Tom said. “Each believer shared their faith and trust in Christ and were baptized.” Tom and fellow missionary Jason Swanson were amazed at some of the men who stepped forward to be baptized. Young men such as Noa, Sek and Ekebauele had caused a lot of mischief for the church in the past. “Ekebauele has always been a hot-head,” Tom said. “Even when he was a young teenager, he was always getting his way through fear and intimidation.” But a godly reaction turned away Ekebauele’s attempts to intimidate the believers. He threw rocks at the church building while the believers met, in an attempt to get a reaction. The culturally appropriate reaction would have been to ignore him. Despite cultural norms, a more common reaction would have been to get angry and possibly attack him. The Siawi believers did neither. They shared Christ with him. “The work of those men … brought him to the realization that he was a sinner in need of a savior,” Tom said. Ekebauele began to show great change and started frequenting the teaching. Through more conversations, Tom and Jason learned how he came to believe in Jesus. “Oh yes, before I wasn’t a believer in Christ. I didn’t care about God’s road, but as I listened to the teaching on Acts, my thinking became clear,” Ekebauele told Tom and Jason one day. “I understand that Christ’s death made the way for me to go to Heaven. His blood was shed for me and there is no other way for my sins to be paid for. I want to be baptized because it is what Jesus said should happen to those who believe in Him. I want to follow Jesus’s talk.” The Siawis have experienced the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the significance He has in their lives. Now they want to represent it, they want to wear it, be washed anew in it. They want to experience and live it. “Our lives should be lived as an act of worship to God,” Tom said. “The people are being confronted with their sin in contrast to Christ’s righteousness.”
“I understand that Christ’s death made the way for me to go to Heaven.”
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Tom and Jason baptizing a new believer
“I want to be baptized because it is what Jesus said should happen to those who believe in Him. I want to follow Jesus’s talk.”
The Siawis learned the significance of their baptisms and their participation showed everyone in attendance that they belong to Christ now, that they believe in Him and that they’ve placed their faith in Him as their only Savior. “We explained … that baptism doesn’t save [them],” Tom said. “The water has no power.” But God does. In a crowd of 59 new believers the faces were diverse, representing different ethnicities and customs, symbolizing the wide extent of God’s kingdom. Tom and Jason baptized their children as Siawi believers Kwaelom and Someliae baptized theirs. Missionaries and Siawis stood together, joined under Christ’s unifying salvation. “There are now around 100 Siawi believers who have been baptized,” Tom wrote. “Our desire is for them to begin to see that they are one body in Christ.” The missionaries continue teaching and the Siawis continue soaking in the Word of God, letting it seep through the pores of their spirits and into their minds and hearts. They patiently wait for God to provide another opportunity for baptism so more souls can rejoice through experiencing the symbolic sanctification of their spirits and take great pleasure and delight — through worship, faith and service — in the glory of Jesus Christ. — by Christina Johnson, contributing editor
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Aiming the Spotlight O
nce Mark Cain learned that the Hebrew word for glory includes the concept of shining light, he had what he needed to teach the Guahibo believers in Colombia about praise. Translating God’s Word into a tribal language often involves returning to the original languages for insight to bridge a tribal worldview that perhaps for centuries has born the influence of separation from the mind of God. “When you say you give glory to God it is like putting a spotlight on God,” Mark explained, “turning it off yourself and putting the spotlight on Him. So when you are rejecting the society and believing God’s Word that He will take care of you, you are shining the light on God’s character.” One of the most brilliant examples of this among the Guahibo believers is Virgilio and Elsa. “When my wife became pregnant with my latest son, Jonatan Edward, I was so disappointed,” Virgilio explained to Mark. “I felt I already had more children than I could care for. I prayed to God and told him this, and He said to me, ‘I have something I want to teach you through him.’ So I told God I accepted.” In all of Elsa’s pregnancies, Virgilio faithfully adhered to the Guahibo cultural taboos that say if the husband eats land turtle, the mother’s birth canal would shrink, killing mother and child. Or if he or his expecting wife eats monkey, the umbilical cord would wrap around the infant’s body, causing the death of the child and mother. Or if they eat longnecked duck, the baby would die in the womb, causing the mother’s death as well. But once, when Elsa was eight months pregnant, Virgilio fished and hunted all day and all God gave 9
Previous Page: Virgilio and Elsa and children; Jonatan Below: Virgilio and Elsa and children with the Cains; Elas and Jonatan; Virgilio teaching
him was a land turtle. His brother-in-law warned him against eating it, but he said, “Before going fishing this morning I asked God to provide for my family. Surely God wouldn’t give me something harmful, would He?” Later that month, on another hunting trip God only gave him a monkey. But he took it home, and as Elsa was preparing it for dinner, Virgilio’s mother tried to convince her of the dangers in eating it. Elsa told her, “God gave us this, and we are trusting Him that He knows best.” “In my wife’s ninth month God provided a longnecked duck and nothing else,” said Virgilio. This time Elsa’s mother strongly advised them against eating it. Elsa simply said, “God provided and we are trusting Him.” A week later Elsa told Virgilio, “My labor pains have started. Pray for me.” “The birth of my son Jonatan was completely normal, with not even one complication,” Virgilio reported. “When I saw this, the very next church meeting I spent an hour teaching on how we should trust God in everything and not our taboos. You know, God conquered my lack of trust in Him using my youngest son.” Virgilio and Elsa’s radical trust in God’s character as a provider of good things gave them courage to ignore debilitating taboos, putting the spotlight on God. “For them to do that,” explained Mark, “they are expressing adoration to God because He has become first in their life.” Before, their life was dictated by society, the shaman, the spirits. Now they are choosing to focus their attention on God. And when God responds according to their faith, the society sees His faithfulness and agree, “Yes, God is great.” “It’s easy to get up and sing,” said Mark. “But when you start making steps to put God first — that is true worship.”
— by Donna Gibson, contributing editor
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!
Bravo, God T
he Tobo people of Papua New Guinea taught me something lately — worship is applauding God. And they’re cheering for Him with all their might. Paulas, a new Tobo believer, was telling missionary Jason Knapp and other believers about trying to share God’s Word with another group. But the people didn’t like his talk and wouldn’t listen. The missionary took that opportunity to explain about persecution and what to expect. “What can man do to you?” Jason asked the men. “Nothing!” Tingon replied. “They can kill us but we are going to heaven. They can hurt this body but they can’t hurt our spirit.”
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Caught up in the moment, Alis started clapping, but then got embarrassed and stopped. Jason encouraged him to keep on applauding God. “God gets praise from our excitement.” At times, the cheering is not literal at all — yet still unmistakable. It could be heard as the story of Creation was told. The Tobo people were stunned by God’s greatness and power as they looked at the pictures of tigers, lions, elephants and other animals they had never seen before. They marveled at the beauty and intricacy of God’s designs as ferns and flowers from their very own jungle were passed around for them to look at. They had never really noticed them before. The applause began to thunder in their hearts. “We just cut down trees and brush without thinking that God made this for us, and we don’t thank Him for it,” several commented. It rose in volume as one newly saved couple couldn’t keep their joy from escaping. In fact, others could barely get a word in edgewise. Whenever the missionaries visited their house, Welsen and his wife were talking about the Gospel with whoever happened to be there. “We heard from God’s Word the other day that Jesus has washed all our sins away,” Welsen said during one visit, “and now we are clean in God’s sight because all our sins were on Jesus. It is true. You just have to believe it!” At that point, most of the people got up and left. But one old man stayed — and trusted Christ. The sweet sound had carried. “Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus,” Welsen and his new brother rejoiced together. It broke out afresh when the Tobo believers celebrated their first Easter together. The holiday used to be filled with superstition and dread. People stayed close to the village, afraid of trouble with the spirits. But freedom in Christ now prompted an overwhelming swell of heartfelt applause. “The worship was tremendous as we thanked Jesus for His sacrificial death for us, singing to the tune of guitars and the beat of wooden hand drums,” said missionary Chad Mankins. “Several people expressed their praise to God for what Jesus has done for them.” It also echoed loud and clear after a sun-filled day of spearing freshwater shrimp, swimming in icecold water and relaxing around the fire. For three 12
Welsan lives his worship
Caught up in the moment, Alis started clapping … “God gets praise from our excitement.”
Chad Mankins and Jason Knapp talk with Tobo men
hours into the night, Jason Knapp, his son Micah and two Tobo families talked through the Old Testament and the life of Christ — discussing the stories of Abraham and Isaac, the bronze serpent, the Bread of Life and others. Above the roar of the river it could be heard — God was being asked to take a bow. And it erupted again as the believing Tobo women met together to talk about their new life in Christ. “We are free now,” said Daisa. “We don’t have to be tied up following all the laws. We are free of all that, because Jesus has died for us and carried all our sins and it is finished!” “When we share our burdens,” said Lanisa, “it is like all of us trying to carry a heavy pig, not just one person by herself.” “We can pray anytime, all the time,” she added. “We can talk to God even about everyday things — carrying our string bag on the path, digging up the ground, planting taro and at home cooking food.” Applause doesn’t fit in a box. It’s too big and loud and wonderful. And God deserves it all — no matter what form it comes in. In the jungles of Papua New Guinea, the Tobo people have discovered what worship is. It’s taking every opportunity to stand up in our hearts and give God the ovation of our lives. — by Debbie Burgett, contributing editor
Roofs Are Optional Many people in Papua New Guinea believe that visiting a church building on Sunday earns the acceptance of God. So the Tobo believers purposely refrained from building a structure and met outdoors in order to show that only belief in Christ brings salvation. But the ladies’ meeting was growing and a shelter was needed to protect all the children from the intense sun and rain. Having already demonstrated that a building was not necessary to win God’s approval, they erected a pavilion-style meeting place. When the men gathered for their regular Sunday Bible study after it was finished, they talked about how God’s Word is not bound to any one place or building. Instead, it is a powerful Word touching every area of life — going to the garden, walking on the trails or sitting in their houses. “We can talk about it anywhere,” said Tingon, “because it is life.” So the Tobo people continue to cheer for God — whether sitting under a roof or not.
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Verses asWor W
hen the Palaka believers in Ivory Coast met together for the first time, missionaries joined them on the outskirts of the village instead of in the center. The teaching was new, discipleship instead of chronological Bible lessons, and their lives were new as well.
Karija learned verses by singing them.
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The missionary team — Allan and Mandy Caley, Verne and Denny Johnson and Steve and Holly Robertson — decided to have an open time for sharing. They chose to go with a nonstructured event since they didn’t know how many, if any, believers would show up. The team wanted the people to feel free to talk about whatever was on their hearts. Then, when the Palaka believers arrived, “it was hard to convey in Palaka what an open sharing time was,” Mandy said. The missionaries were likely as nervous as the people. They didn’t want to burden the Palakas with cultural baggage, desiring for the Palakas to worship as God led. Allan got up and opened in prayer. He was careful not to stand in an odd position or hold his head awkwardly; those working among the Palakas had once heard of a missionary who had rested one foot on a log and his forehead in his hand. It wasn’t until the fourth or fifth new believer in his village had taken that stance to pray that he realized they thought they needed to pray in that position. At the end of that first Sunday meeting, the missionary team taught the Palakas a Bible verse to memorize. The following Wednesday the believers met and the verse was repeated. The missionaries were teaching orally since most of the Palakas still could not read their language; about 30 had finished Literacy classes. The next Sunday, a believer named Karija stood up. She had learned the verse … by singing. She sang a line, and everyone repeated it. Never before had Palaka men and women sung together. From that point on the Palaka worship services focused on the verses. Meetings opened with versesinging, and people wanted to learn more verses,
rship because it meant more songs. The believers enjoyed just saying the verses, too. But beyond the singing and meeting times, there were more changes and distinctions growing among the Palakas. Before the evangelistic Bible lessons had been taught and there were believers, the Palakas had been very legalistic, looking for what they needed to do or not do to manipulate the spirits and each other. Because they blended animism with traditions they’d seen practiced by others, they considered faith and salvation a list of tasks to accomplish or things to avoid. That list began to change during evangelistic Bible lessons when the story of the rich young ruler was taught. One Palaka man had an “aha” moment when he participated in presenting that story through drama. He asked if that was the way into Heaven, selling all of his stuff and giving to the poor. It made sense, according to their old way of thinking. Upon hearing that wasn’t the path, the listening Palakas started putting the pieces together. “Unless somebody went in our place …” was followed by “Jesus did it, didn’t He?” In 2002, the missionaries had to evacuate Ivory Coast because of civil war, leaving the translation work in progress but not complete. Currently there is a famine in the Palakas’ area, but the work has not ceased. The Book of Ruth is ready to be checked by missionaries who are skilled in translation to see if it conveys the message correctly. The Palakas currently have 1,000 checked verses of the Old Testament and 800 checked from the New Testament, as well as unchecked portions of Acts, Romans and Ephesians and the tentative translation of Ruth. Amid the changes and progress the Palakas still sing.
They didn’t want to burden the Palakas with cultural baggage, desiring for the Palakas to worship as God led.
— by Jackie Fallis, contributing editor 15
A CLOSER LOOK
Worship
Man’s Greatest Thirst by Chet Plimpton, General Secretary NTM USA Executive Board
“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.” (John 4:20, 21) When the woman of Samaria left her house to draw water that afternoon, she had no idea she would soon be engaged in a conversation that would change her life for eternity. As Jesus exposed the dryness of her life and spoke of a well that would quench her thirst forever, the woman began to speak of her greatest thirst and the greatest thirst of every man and woman. Worship! When God created man after His divine likeness, He placed within the human heart a longing to worship Him. However, when man chose to disobey God and believe the lies of Satan, man’s worship was tragically misdirected. Man has only two choices. Either worship the Creator God or worship created things. Some people may arrogantly claim they do not worship at all, 18
but all men and women must worship. It is a law many times stronger than the law of gravity. If a person does not worship Almighty God in whose image he was created, he or she automatically defaults to the worship of someone or something else. That includes Satan, his evil spirits, powerful and influential human beings, inanimate objects that he covets and treasures or even himself or herself because of selfish pride. The Samaritan woman approached worship from the only understanding she had of it — the place of worship. The Samaritans claimed Gerizim was the place to worship, and the Jews claimed Jerusalem was the place. Who was right? Jesus must have surprised the woman when He explained that worship of the Creator God would not be confined to any geographical location. Jesus went on to say that “the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23b) We may have our own ideas about worship, but if we desire to know what true worship is, should we not understand what the Father is seeking? True worshippers worship the Father in spirit. The most fundamental thing to know about worshipping God is that He is Spirit. Man tends to design a worship program that stimulates and satisfies his senses of sight, sound and feeling. For this reason, man puts a
lot of importance on the externals of place and form of worship. God, on the other hand, is not looking for outward display but for inward reality. God has not changed in this. True worship of the Father is not relegated to a “worship service.” It is not confined to a certain day, place or event. It is not engendered at all by music, atmosphere or ceremony. True worship is a moment-by-moment heart expression of love and devotion of the Father from those who have placed their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Worship is an expression of our hearts and is our privilege at all seasons of life. We read in Job 1:20, 21 that even with unimaginable trials, Job worshipped the Lord. True worshippers worship the Father in truth. By identifying “true worshippers” the Lord clearly indicated there are also those whose worship is false or not directed toward the One True God. This was certainly true of the Samaritans who, although they had received the Pentateuch and claimed to worship the God of the Jews, rejected all the writings of the Prophets. Consequently, while they professed to be worshippers of God, they continued in various forms of idol worship. Once a temple had stood on Mount Gerizim, but it had been destroyed leaving only the sense of “place.” The reality was that the only thing the Samaritans had in common was the place of worship. They certainly didn’t agree on who to worship. The Samaritans were not troubled that the one worshipping next to them was worshipping an entirely different god than they were. The important thing to the Samaritans was that everyone was worshipping some god. After all, who was to say which was the true God or
if there even was one true God? Contrary to the spirit of political correctness and religious pluralism so prevalent in society and church movements today, there is indeed only One True and Living God and only One Way for sinful men and women to approach Him in worship. Jesus told the woman of Samaria that those who worship the Father must worship Him in truth. In John 14:6, Jesus further clarified what it means to worship in truth when He said to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” True worship of the Father is given in truth, meaning it is given only to Jesus Christ Who God has highly exalted and given a Name above every name “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10, 11)
Think about it: 1. What do you think of the statement that worship is “the greatest thirst of every man and woman?” 2. Do you think an over-emphasis on the place and form of worship can detract from true worship? Why or why not? 3. In light of the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman, how would you respond to the claims of religious pluralism that more than one belief system holds the truth and that those who insist salvation can be obtained only by accepting Jesus Christ are intolerant?
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PRAY
and there is no Singing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” to the Lord has a way of shaking off the noise in our minds, enabling us to take our thoughts off our daily concerns for a while. Lyrics focusing on the character of God rather than the condition of man tend to more effectively turn a busy heart to Him. I venture to say it is much the same with prayer. In my poverty of understanding and experience in worshipful prayer, I
gentlemanly God that He will not even force His way into my ministry, though it has His name written on it. Then my Aunt Katy introduced me to a prayer method that started out with describing God’s character. Concentrating on Him felt like literally standing before His throne, heart bowed in humility to His kingly greatness. The next natural response in me was to acknowledge my sinfulness, like in Isaiah 6 when the prophet “saw
How easy it was for me to leave God out of my prayer life. used to abuse the privilege of speaking directly to God by spouting off, albeit respectfully, a checklist of needs for the Lord to handle. In His grace He dealt gently with me, even checked off the list for me. Yes. Wait. Yes. No, because I love you. But to my own loss, I confess I failed to keep track of all I asked of Him and often didn’t notice whether or not He answered my prayer. A pervasive theme throughout the Old Testament is God urging people to acknowledge Him after He repeatedly delivered them and demonstrated His power. Is there a difference in His agenda today? How easy it was for me to leave God out of my prayer life. He is such a 20
the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.” Isaiah’s response was, “I am a man of unclean lips.” God’s response to Isaiah was to purify him from his sins. “Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.” With the housekeeping taken care of, they proceeded to talk of greater things, a dialogue that inspired many currently serving the Lord around the globe. What takes place during this interchange is fascinating to me, because although Isaiah finds himself standing before God’s throne he does not ask the Lord to do anything for him. He offers his services: “Here am I. Send me.”
other. The other day, I was struck with another lesson in prayer by the words of Marcus Guthrie, a pastor in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. He warned against becoming the kind of Christian who settles for having simply a churchy life and not ever running hard or fighting the good fight, “getting all the Jesus they can for themselves, backs turned to the heart of Christ — for the sick and the lost, the despaired and the sinners.” He was not speaking of prayer at all. But his words were an indictment on my prayer life. I’d grown so short-sighted in my vision of the world that I was not disturbed enough by the desperate lot of those far from God’s truth to really go to battle for someone else. Although my temporary, circumstantial concerns like health and finances are legitimate topics for conversation with the Lord, they are not of eternal significance and really should not take up the bulk of my dialogue with Him. I’m learning to ask Him what He wants to discuss. We talk of greater things. He is infinitely more interesting than I am. The truth is, I can hardly dwell long on the reality of God’s glorious Self without recognizing His right to be glorified by all peoples. An oft-repeated phrase in scripture, “I AM the LORD and there is no other,” echoes through my thoughts as I attempt to
wrap my heart around a concept I am certain is only new to me, and maybe a few others out there. This is it: as I pray for tribal people and the missionaries seeking to reach them with the Gospel, my overriding motivation should not be that people are lost, but that God is not getting their worship. A heart for worship means being jealous for God, making sure He gets all the glory He deserves. As worshipful prayer takes me before the throne of God I need only look slightly to His right to see Christ seated there and remember what He did to bring glory to the Father. “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19 — by Donna Gibson, contributing editor
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GIVE
A Gift for the Future A little boy is playing right now in a tribal village. Like boys the world over, all he needs is a stick and some dirt to have fun. Unlike many boys, however, his life has already been touched by hunger and want, fear and grief. He has no hope, no idea the future can be different. Nor does his mother or sister, or his uncle who teaches him the ways of their people. No one who speaks his language has heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. He could be any boy in 2,500 people groups. “How will they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Planting a church among an unreached people group is a complex, long-term task. Yet men and women are willing to give themselves to God and let Him use them as His ambassadors in the remote, forgotten corners of the world. You can help send them and help the boys and girls and men and women in those 2,500 people groups. NTM’s Missionary Training Center equips candidates to: • decipher a unique culture • learn an unwritten language • devise an alphabet • translate the Bible • teach God’s Word clearly
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The great problem is that there are more men and women who are willing to go and learn and do and be, than there is space in the training center. and ultimately, to establish a mature church, a body of disciples that takes it place in God’s plan by joining in making disciples of all nations. The great problem is that there are more men and women who are willing
to go and learn and do and be, than there is space in the training center. And that great problem is a great opportunity for you. New Tribes Mission is expanding the Missionary Training Center. New housing must be built. Classrooms and offices are needed. Improvements to roads, electrical, plumbing and more must keep pace. And with your help, more students will be trained and more tribes will be reached, and more little boys playing with sticks and dirt will have the opportunity to grow up as believers with hope and a future and eternal life, and to take part in making disciples of all nations.
Your gift to expand the Missionary Training Center will multiply for generations to come, to the glory of God. Thanks for considering an investment in eternity. Give online or learn about other year-end opportunities.
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GO
A Dream
Comes True
Jeremy Spencer had a dream. He wanted to visit his friends in Guinea. His parents, Mike and Marie Spencer, served among the Nalu people in Guinea for several years and Jeremy has wonderful memories of his time there and the friends he made. His dream was to purchase a ticket, fly to Guinea and enjoy spending time with his friends. He was even willing to sell his old Honda Prelude to raise money for the ticket — but that wouldn’t begin to cover the cost. Mike suggested that he check to see if the Summit Assist program was planning a building project trip to Guinea. Sure enough, they were and Jeremy immediately applied to be a team member. “I’ve always been interested in missions,” said Jeremy, “and felt the Lord calling me to serve Him so I felt this trip would be a first step.” Things were falling into place for the Guinea trip but no missionary team leaders were available. Summit Assist leaders asked Mike and Marie, who work at New Tribes Mission’s retirement center in Florida, if they would be willing to lead the team. “I’d already been feeling homesick,” Marie said. “And miraculously Mike was free for the summer, so we agreed to go.” Jeremy was concerned that he’d never get enough funds to go. It seemed 24
like an astronomical amount — an insurmountable goal. “Now you’ll get to go and I won’t,” Jeremy said, “and it’s my dream.” His mom told him to trust the Lord and see what God would do. So Jeremy shared at church, wrote to some
Meeting believers from another culture and language with the same hopes and ideals was a real life-changing experience for many. friends and waited and watched for God to work. Within three weeks all the finances needed for the trip came in, and $2,500 more than he needed! The Assist leaders asked Jeremy to tell people to stop sending money — and he even got to keep his Honda. Eight others, ages ranging from 15 to 63, joined the Spencers as they left for Guinea to build a home for school teachers and to experience missions first-hand. They arrived, began their building project and started to bond together as a team. Then three missionary kids came to help with the project and Jeremy reveled in the adventure they shared, “just like old times.” His old friends got to know his new friends and as they shared experiences and worked to-
gether they formed new friendships. When the group attended a Landuma believers’ meeting, everyone was in tears as they heard the testimonies of Landumas who endured much persecution for the sake of their Lord. Marie had to leave early to fix lunch for the crowd. When they returned she asked, “What did you think of the testimonies?” Team members called out: “Awesome,” “Overwhelming,” “The Lord opened my eyes.” Meeting believers from another culture and language with the same hopes and ideals was a real lifechanging experience for many. The
trip solidified Jeremy’s intention to be involved in missions. He continues to chat with his new friends on Facebook and several have expressed their intention to pursue missions as a career. Let the Lord open your eyes to the hopes and ideals of believers around the world. Take a mission trip and make your dream come true. — by Dena McMaster, contributing editor
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SEND
Jesu
For the Sake of the Name by Pastor Bill Bjork Grace Bible Church, Sun City, Arizona
Ask a committed Christian, well versed in the teachings of the Bible, why we evangelicals send out missionaries, and he will no doubt have one of several responses. “To win the lost,” he might say, or “to build the church, to extend the kingdom,” or, for sure, “to obey the Great Commission.” Those are all correct responses. But none of them captures what I would call “the supreme motivation” for missions: to bring glory to the Lord. The Apostle John put into sharp focus this crucial dynamic behind the missionary enterprise in his third epistle when he described the ancient ambassadors for Christ as going out “for His Name’s sake” (3 John 7). In fact, one translation renders verse 7 as: “It was entirely for the sake of the Name that they set out.” That’s justified by the fact that in the original Greek, “for” is intensified by another word — one that has no equivalent in English. It’s as if the original reads, “very for.” So what is this Name for which the missionaries went out? In Scripture, the Name of God is more than just a distinguishing label 26
He wears, as our names tend to be. Proverbs 18:10 declares: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” It’s not the literal name or title “Jehovah” or “Jesus” we believers run to for safety; rather, it’s the living Person of God. The late Carl Henry explained it this way in his theological treatise on God, Revelation, and Authority: “All that which can be known of God by virtue of his revelation is called by Scripture: God’s name. The Name is thus often used for God’s entire reality; it is equivalent to the totality of His attributes. In brief, the name of God is the very being of God.” So when John tells us that these missionaries went out “for His Name’s sake,” he is specifically talking about Jesus. And he is not simply using “His Name” instead of writing “Jesus” — he is using that to allude to the Person of God the Son, Jesus of Nazareth, as He has been revealed to us in nature, in Scripture, in history, and in experience, according to Charles Ryrie writing about 3 John in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. For those first-century missionaries, the impulse in going was to reach the
s u s e sus J lost with the Gospel. But more than that, it was to serve and glorify and exalt the blessed Lord who had loved them and given Himself for them. It has been well said, “Jealousy for the Name of Christ is the most compelling of all missionary motives” (John R. W. Stott, The Epistles of John).
“for His Name’s sake.” By sending, we too are acting for His Name’s sake. We are joining in glorifying His name among the nations. “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’ “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
Jesus
“Jealousy for the Name of Christ
”
is the most compelling of all missionary motives. Henry Martyn, an early missionary to India, was appalled as he watched people there bowing before their idols. He wrote in his journal: “Seeing these people prostrate before [their] gods created more horror in me than I can express. I could not endure existence if Jesus was not glorified. It would be hell to me.” Now that is jealousy for the Name in the heart of a missionary! That outlook and orientation constitute the great motivation behind all true missionary endeavors. And 3 John 7 makes clear that this is also why we send. John is giving Gaius — and us — the reason to send missionaries — because they are going
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:13-15a) His name is “above every name,” and we — churches and missionaries alike — are working together with God toward the day when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” (Philippians 2:10a)
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MISSIONARIES TO THE FIELD Kent and Jenny Schafer Mozambique Ministry: Church planting Sending churches: First Baptist Church, St. Johns, Michigan and Brookfield Christian Fellowship, Brookfield, Missouri Both Kent and Jenny personally experienced the blessings of new life in Christ, but never considered being personally involved in missions before attending New Tribes Bible Institute. Kent desired to minister to the homeless in the USA. Jenny was interested in missions, but did not consider herself to be “missionary material.” While at NTBI, they learned that 2,500 people groups have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel in their own language. Realizing these people needed someone to learn their language and share the Gospel with them, Kent and Jenny began to hope God would use them as tribal church planters. In their last year of missionary training with NTM, they met and God directed both their hearts toward the people of Mozambique.
Steve and Krista Campbell
Briella Papua New Guinea Ministry: Maintenance and construction Sending church: Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church, Ontario, Canada “I have always been interested in missions,” wrote Steve. As a teenager, he went on a few mission trips to Mexico. In 1998, he was in Papua New Guinea helping his uncle Dave with several work projects, including building a house for missionaries in a tribal location. “Up to that point, I was not sure of God’s purpose for my life,” Steve wrote. “After I built that house I knew God wanted me to pursue carpentry.” He returned to Canada, acquired a license, and over the last ten years, Steve and his wife, Krista, have made short trips to Papua New Guinea. “At age 16, I went on my first missions trip where I made a serious commitment to follow the Lord,” Krista wrote. “I had been a believer since I was a little girl but this was the point in my life where my faith became my own.” Krista met Steve while studying to be a teacher. They went to Papua New Guinea on two different occasions, spending a summer working at Wewak. Krista helped in office while Steve worked as a carpenter. That helped the couple to make the decision to serve in Papua New Guinea. “While we were there for our second trip,” Krista added, “ my heart went out to the people of Papua New Guinea so we came back to help in the support ministry in Wewak.” Now they are devoting the next couple years to living there, serving the Lord as He enables them.
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George and Ginny Olson
Isaac, Sarah, and Abby The Philippines Ministry: Church planting Sending church: Temple Bible Church, Temple, Texas After coming to know Christ as teenagers, George and Ginny went on short-term mission trips to Mexico during their high school and college years. The Lord used these trips to convince them that involvement in world evangelization was His plan for them. In 2001, they began preparing at NTM’s Missionary Training Center, specializing in linguistics. They arrived in the Philippines in 2006 where they are now ministering among the Southwest Palawano people.
Steve and Diane Mishler
Briana and Sasha Indonesia Ministry: Construction coordinator/ Speech therapist Sending church: Bethany Community Church, Temple, Arizona Steve and Diane have been married 10 years. During the first year of marriage Diane accepted Jesus as her personal savior. Steve came to Christ as a young boy, and in the last several years renewed his commitment to the Lord. For nine years, they served on a mission support team at Bethany Community Church for an NTM missionary couple in Papua New Guinea. God prompted them to serve with NTM after a short-term mission trip to Papua New Guinea in October 2008.
Larry and Linda Tiedje Papua New Guinea Ministry: Dentist/ Dental assistant Sending church: Sunnybrook Community Church, Sioux City, Iowa Larry grew up on a farm in south-central Nebraska and Linda grew up in Lincoln. They attended and met at Nebraska Wesleyan University and both went on to graduate studies at the University of Nebraska. Larry received a DDS from the Dental College and Linda a Masters in Math Education. Both came to Christ while living and working in Sioux City. Shortly after, they left for missionary service in Africa and served in three different countries over a 14-year period (Nigeria, Liberia, Ivory Coast). They returned to the States during the Liberian Civil War and have operated a private dental practice in Sioux City since then. Now they are providing dental care for missionaries and tribal people in Papua New Guinea. 29
CELEBRATE
When God Shows Up in In the jungles of Papua New Guinea, tribes lived in bondage and fears were many. Their existence was driven by the thought, “Will the spirits be pleased this time or not?” “We’re like wild pigs,” said the Inanbimali, running to any belief or folly. People stumbling in a dark, crowded room, desperately groping to escape from doom. But then God shined His light … A torch came down the Inanbimalis path one day, and the truth of the Gospel lit their way. The Bagwidos mixed old beliefs with new, creating strange stories far from true. Their version of Noah is one to note — a half-man, half-rat built a big longboat! But then God spoke His truth … Noah’s true story was taught and understood. Bagwidos now stand in God’s canoe for good. Another tribe is the Dinangat “God is no different from man,” they thought. He planted a garden so He could eat Why is that such a noteworthy feat? But then God showed His power … Dinangats were stunned to hear what He had done, They declared, “God is the only almighty One!” — by Debbie Burgett, contributing editor
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the
(ISSN 1527-9057)
Jungle
Here to serve you NTM@work connects you with tribal missions and provides opportunities for increase involvement in taking the Gospel to ethnic groups who have yet to hear about Jesus.
Vol.67 路 No.2
路
November 2008
NTM@work team Executive Editor: Macon Hare David Bell, Debbie Burgett, Rex Crawford, Ian Fallis, Jackie Fallis, Jon Frazier, Donna Gibson, Patrick Hatcher, Chris Holland, Brian Johnson, Christina Johnson, and Dena McMaster NTM@work is published quarterly by New Tribes Mission. Periodical postage paid at MID-FL, FL 32799-9625 Postmaster Please send address changes to NTM@work, New Tribes Mission, 1000 E. First Street, Sanford, FL 32771-1487 Subscriptions NTM@work is provided free to readers in North America on a year-to-year basis. To receive the magazine or have it sent to a friend, sign up online at ntm.org/subscribe, e-mail ntm@ntm.org, or call 407-323-3430. The magazine may be read online at ntm.org/magazine. Requests to reprint articles should be directed to Executive Editor Macon Hare at macon_hare@ntm.org or call 407-323-3430. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part unless expressly authorized in writing. NTM worldwide USA 407-323-3430 Canada 519-369-2622 Australia 011-61-2-6559-8646 Europe 011-44-1472-387700
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