November 1, 2008
To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it up carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. (C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves [Orlando: Harcourt, 1988]: 120; orig. 1960).
August 16, 2008
It has been a week since the Pastor’s Retreat (and a very busy week) but I have an hour before I have to go out so I will try to post some pictures of the wonderful time we had together. Donnie and Irma Wiltshire were, again, wonderful, wonderful hosts (thanks to BSCNC as well) and it is always a blessing to gather, fellowship, pray, worship, and (thanks to the Marsha’s memory) sing together. This conference was also special because two deaf missionaries from Honduras were also with us, Melvin and Wendy.
let me post some pictures:
Kevin, Debbie, Glenda, and Bo
Donnie's Idea of Olympic Competition (Kinna)
Donnie, Irma, and Gena
Mmmm... lunch on Lake Lure
All play and no work makes Jack a difficult report
Melvin and Wendy
Go Fish
You will be missed!
Jerry and Leona Potter will be moving to a little Dutch town in Northern Washington. They will be greatly missed. It was a wonderful blessing to have had fellowship with them once again before they moved.
August 4, 2008
On Saturday, our church was went to the JAARS (Jungle Aviation And Radio Service) Deaf Day and it made a wonderful impression on our members and other churches that attended. the JAARS encampment is locted an hour south of uptown Charlotte (where our church is located) in a beautiful dense forest. This seems ideal for the training JAARS provides for missionaries. For a more thorough history of JAARS, visit this link. We met in the morning and were greeted by around 50 people from several Deaf churches around the city and and had several very interesting messages regarding why JAARS is in existence, but also Wycliffe Bible Translation as well.
The first presentation was on why it is important to use the ‘vernacular language” when ministering to different cultures and this was exactly the same message Aric Randolph gave at the SBCD. “Vernacular language” means “heart language” and I believe that the deaf hearing his (names forthcoming) presentation understood exactly what he meant having lived this everyday.
There was a wonderful skit that morning also demonstrating
the burden that missionaries carry when they go to a far-off village and are pushed to quickly translate the Bible into the vernacular language. A young volunteer, Ron Caughman, came up to act as the missionary called out to a obscure village in Northern Africa to translate the Bible, but he also found that, along with his work as a translator, he would also work as the carpenter, reading teacher, homeschooler, doctor, financer, editor, father of six, and husband. The point of the skit was to show the need for other volunteers to help ease the burden on many missionaries around the world. Ron did a good job in the skit and throughout all the burden he carried, kept copying the translation of the Bible.
Shawn Collins
After the skit, we moved to another building to listen to a presentation by Shawn Collins. This presentation was very interesting because in included a new concept of using technology to create 3D animation to translate the Bible. How the Technology works would take several years of college study, but Shawn explained to us laymen the goal of the program was to create a software that would allow the creation of signing in different sign languages around the world. He explained that there are around 300 to
Dee Collins
400 different signed languages around the world and that this software would provide a safe alternative to using locals on video. Often when locals who speak the vernacular language sign on video, opposing religions would hunt them down and kill them so it is often hard and dangerous using locals to create Bible videos using signs. Everyone really loved this concept and look forward to see the finished product. You can see an example of the work at Shawn’s blog. Shawn and his wife, Dee, are a wonderful asset to our Christian Deaf community in Charlotte and we are so blessed to know them.
After lunch, we all went down to the JAARS hangar to prepare to be boarded onto the helicopter for a thrilling ride (3 at a time). The heat and humidity that day was high, but it did not dampen our spirits. It was also a good time to fellowship. We did not have enough time to tour the museums, but will next time we visit.
From all us here at FBC Charlotte Deaf Mission, many thanks to JAARS, Shawn and Dee, and the interpreters who volunteered their time there. God bless you all.
August 1, 2008
Let me introduce you to a wonderful brother of mine, Jim Walterhouse. We met on the Baptist Board several years ago where Jim was a regular contributor and clicked right off. We have been prayer partners from afar over the few years and finally last month met at the SBCD in St. Louis. It was wonderful finally meeting him in person. I asked him if he would like to be a contributor to Silent Matters and he agreed. Let me me take his “About” information from his website Deaf4Christ.org:
The Walterhouses
About us – Let me begin by introducing you to our family. Jim (that’s me) is tall, dark, and handsome. Well, two out of three isn’t too bad- I’ll let you guess which two! I was born in Indiana and graduated from Tennessee Temple University in 1982. My wife Debbie is a Georgia peach. We met at Temple and got married in 1979. We have two sons, Jonathan and Joshua. Jonathan is married to Michelle and they currently reside in Tennessee while on deputation as missionaries to Mexico. They are also parents of our first grandchild- Jaiden Paul. Joshua is still living at home with us. He is in 12th grade in our home schooling program, and plans to attend Bible college next year.
About our ministry in Mexico – After working with the deaf (starting deaf ministries in churches) in the USA for 15 years, in November of 1997 the Lord saw fit to call us to work with the deaf in Mexico. In January of 1999, we arrived on the field to attend language school in Saltillo. In November of that same year, we moved to Tampico and began the ministry of Iglesia Bautista ‘El Faro’ para sordos (Lighthouse Baptist Church for the deaf). We also have a mission church to the deaf in the city of Ciudad Mante, teach a class on Mexican Sign Language (LSM) to the students in the Baptist Bible Institute in Mante, and direct a camp for the deaf every summer.
About our people – There are anywhere between 6-7 million deaf in Mexico. The majority of them have very little education, and thus very little hope for decent employment. Many live with family and are completely dependent upon others for their subsistence. But that is not their biggest problem. Their biggest problem is the lack of knowledge of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. In all of Mexico there are very few Gospel preaching churches with an outreach to the deaf, only about 7 Baptist churches for the deaf, and less than 20 independent Baptist missionaries to the deaf (including their families). Truly this is a field ‘white unto the harvest.’
Jim was called a few months ago to pastor the Deaf Ministry at the McAllen Baptist Temple in McAllen, Texas but he still sneaks across the border to cast the gospel net whenever he has the chance. Last week he went to a camp there and reports 109 came with 7 accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior. Now he is hopping the Rio Grande once again to help start a new Deaf ministry in Reynosa, Mexico. Pray for his ministry and welcome him to Silent Matters!
July 30, 2008
This Saturday Charlotte Deaf Mission will be going down Waxhaw, NC to visit and tour JAARS (Jungle Aviation And Radio Service). For those who are riding on the church bus, meet me in the back church parking lot at 8:00am. We leave at 8:15 or “train gone.” For those of you who are driving on your own, here are Dee’s directions:
I am really looking forward to JAARS day next Saturday!
Here are the directions to JAARS from I485 and Providence Road.
I485 and NC-16/Providence Road (10.2 miles)
Turn Left at E S Main st/NC 75/Providence Road/Waxhaw HWY (Railroad tracks)
Continue to follow Providence Road S (2.1 miles)
Across from the Petro Gas keep to the right-stay on Providence Road S
This also says it’s Old Waxhaw Road
Turn right to stay on Providence Road S.
There is a white furniture store sign (0.4 miles)
Turn Right at Davis Road (2.9 miles)
Please meet in the Townsend Building (which is labeled) in the coffee shop
Wear comfortable walking shoes
There will be things for children to do as well
If you are wondering about the schedule, here it is:
9:15am: Arrival (Briefing for Interpreters) Meet in the Townsend Building Coffee Shop (signs are posted)
9:15-9:50am: Coffee Shop, Chatting;
Dee needs full count of people staying for lunch to inform cafeteria
10:00am: Auditorium; Welcome, Prayer & Announcements by Arthur Lightbody
10:02-10:17: Vision Talk by Phil Baer
10:18-10:23: Video presentation from “For such a Time as This”
10:24-10:40: Skit with Katy and Ken
10:40am: Dismissal to LSC Building across street
10:45-11:00am: LSC Building; sign language software project by Shawn Collins
11:00am-11:30am: Walk over to Aviation; Helio demo at hanger; air presentation
11:35-12:15am: VMS presentation back at Townsend Building; VMS Room; by Phil Baer
12:15pm-1:30pm: Lunch in Cafeteria
Choice of Pizza or Potato Bar*
1:30pm: RIDES: helicopter, small plane or 4-Wheel Drive and small Plane ride
(Each ride is about ½ hour)*
After Rides, groups are free to stay and tour other departments or museums on own
*Dee will need an exact count of rides by 9:45am, day of event.
JAARS will stay open until 4:00pm
*Lunch in Cafeteria $5.00
*Helicopter rides ($20.00), 4-Wheel & small plane rides ($18.00)
July 29, 2008
Pearl of Great Value
Posted by dale under Studies in Doctrine | Tags: Jesus, Lordship Salvation, Parables |Leave a Comment
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
I have been preaching lately on the parables of the kingdom of heaven Jesus told in the book of Matthew and using them to study different aspects of the kingdom. The Bible gives us many hints that when Jesus’ ministry began, his kingdom was coming yet already offered to all who repented and believed. We can see this in that Jesus’ proclamation that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (near) in Mark 4:17 and that it is already present as Jesus told the Pharisees, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Luke 11:20) Jesus was proclaiming that the kingdom of God was presently available to everyone who repented and believed in him and he said this to everyone he met. One problem, no one could enter the kingdom of God on one’s own merit; the price was too high; perfect righteousness and holiness was demanded. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless you are born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Many have wondered why Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again when it was impossible for him to do it on his own. The reason Jesus told this to Nicodemus (and everyone who hears the good news) is so he (and we) can understand the priceless value of his work on the cross and the resurrection. You see, in the resurrection of Christ we receive the resurrection of our souls, as Paul puts it “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” (Philippians 3:10). There were two reasons Jesus challenged Nicodemus (and us): to see how great a sinner we are, and how great a savior he is.
In the parable of the pearl of great value (Matthew 13:45) Jesus begins his parable saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls”. In this parable we have a merchant here and a merchant is a tradesman searching to exchange something of value for another. If a person does not have anything of value, he is not a tradesman. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again to enter the kingdom but Nicodemus (or anyone else for that matter) did not have anything of value to purchase such a privilege to enter the kingdom of heaven on their own which, as I said, is perfect righteousness and godliness. Jesus told Peter, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” (John 13:36b) So the Merchant here in the first sense is Jesus because he came for one reason which is to purchase his people with his blood. He was the only one who could do this because his own life was undefiled in every way. Death could not keep him in his grave because it had nothing on him to hold him down and this perfection was used to purchase for his people the right to enter the kingdom of heaven and to be children of God. John reminded us that this right did not come to us because of our birthright or our own desire or the desire of others, but the desire of God (John 1:13).
The parable continues in verse 46, “On finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” We must never look upon the sacrificial work of our Lord on the cross as of limited value because it took everything Christ had to purchase our salvation, even death on a cross (Phil 2:8). Jesus told us in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” This Merchant sold ALL that he had for the purchase of his people. For this reason Christ came and died, that his people shall be reconciled with the Father in heaven. And this price included intense rejection and suffering which he received at the hands of the his own people, it included humiliation and death on the cross and it included separation from the eternal Father in heaven and all this was done in innocence. What more could one ask of a friend? As the prophet Isaiah wrote:
Out of the anguish of his soul he
Shall see and be satisfied;
By his knowledge shall the
Righteous one, my servant,
Make many to be accounted righteous,
And he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11
In the second sense, the merchant is those who are born again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the works necessary to purchase their salvation. It costs us nothing because we have nothing to give; we only need to redeem the work of Christ for our salvation. Remember what Jesus told Peter, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Now is the “afterward” and now we can follow Jesus to the cross which we can bear with him and in his resurrection which we can share with him. You see, once we are born again we have in our hands the blood of Christ which has the power of salvation and “to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thess 5:9) Paul tells us in Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” When we are born again, we are freed from the bondage of sin and death and we can freely look on the cross and confess Jesus is our Lord as Paul continues in verse 10, “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” But to confess Jesus as Lord” means we are to belong to him both in body and soul and life and death. As the merchant sold everything he had to purchase the pearl of great value, we also give everything we have when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Here is the problem; many people do not see it this way. They see Jesus as the savior, but not Lord. Such is too much of a burden for them, they say. They believe that the salvation was accomplished by both sides, the sinner and Jesus; he paid his part and I paid mine so he is my savior, but not my Lord. Jeremiah wrote of the Lord saying in Jeremiah 31:33, “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Here God is not vague and that the people he brings to him through Jesus (the blood of the new covenant) will see Jesus as he is; Savior AND Lord. The new birth enables us, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Act 26:18). As Jesus gave all he had to purchase so great a salvation, so is the same asked of us. Ask yourself then; is Jesus Lord of your life? I am not asking if he is on Sunday, but is he Lord in your life on Mondays through Saturdays, in your marriage, at home, at work, in your social life. He did not purchase you only for Sundays, but every moment of your life and it cost everything he had.
July 23, 2008
It had been my goal to live blog the conference this year, but it turned out to be quite an overwhelming task for one not disciplined in such a practice. I have decided to give reflections on different parts of the conference I attended and some of the unique people I have met there. I have been to many Baptist conferences as well as a few other denominations but have not yet come across one so organized and maintained as SBCD 2008. I have not had the fortune of attending one before, but was very impressed. Jim Walterhouse, Pastor of McAllen Baptist Temple and missionary to Mexico, told me he had the same first impression. Hats off to President Aric Randolph and the executive committee and trustees as well as the host church FBC Arnold.
Some Reflections:
The atmosphere at SBCD was mainly that of brotherly love for each other. Many had been coming to SBCD for years. When Larry White’s son was giving a prayer, Tim Bender Pastor of Louisville Baptist Deaf Church, told me that he remembered Aric when he was that age and standing up speaking at SBCD and now he is the president. Carter Bearden was there as well and when Donnie Wiltshire gave the history of SBCD he showed Carter pictured standing with the group at the 4th conference 56 years ago.
One of the joys of SBCD I experienced was seeing all the missionaries home. I wish I could name them all, but am really terrible with names. If you ever go to SBCD, be sure to listen to what they say. I know it is a joy to serve the Lord in foreign lands, but it can be very, as one missionary said, lonely. I believe that is why the missionaries enjoy coming to the SBCD so much as Paul said, “that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (Rom 1:12) I actually believe this is true for everyone who attends SBCD, but expecially for the missionaries.
It was a joy seeing many old friends again and meeting new ones who share the same passion for Christ. I believe I have made some very strong friendships and strengthened others I have had for years. I could not grow weary of hearing the testimonies of so many who gave their lives to Christ for his work. I have really been encouraged by their faith and I pray I can encourage them some way as well.
Donnie Wiltshire was the speaker to the Pastor and Missionaries Fellowship and I really enjoyed his leadership. He is a great example of humble leadership through service. He spoke to the pastors and missionaries regarding their health; physically, spiritually, and in the church. It was a great time together encouraging eachother in the Word.
dale
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