Training Pastors Worldwide

This morning after breakfast I hit the books for a couple of hours – so thankful for Kindle books! I’m continuing the series on Colossians at GraceLife church and teaching a class next week for the Bible College. I love my parchments/books.

I took a break and ventured outside. A group of ladies were visiting and pounding. A long thick pole, pestle-like, was driven into a container, mortar-like, over and over again. I’m not sure of the exact Liberian designation, but “pestle and mortar” work. I scampered down and asked if I could take some pictures and have a go at pounding.

I discovered they were making “kanyan” a Liberian snack food. They slice cassava root and dry it out. Then they add peanuts and dried milk, put it all together into the container, and pound and pound and pound. They got a kick out of watching me. I tired quickly. The women in Liberia are hard workers and are quick to laugh, especially at an American!

On Monday we I visited the church-based school where I preached the last two Sundays. GraceLife sponsors three schools, I’ll post some pictures of school three soon. This is school number two.

There were fifty-one children in a 1000 square foot unfinished home. They were ordered and polite, attentive and all smiles. We were greeted, see below, and impressed! We traveled up the road a bit and took pictures of the new site for the only school in the community, sponsored by GraceLife Church. The footings have been poured and they are saving up for the next phase of construction. The children in this school would be spending the day idle in the village if not for GraceLife.

A little side note: a Christian book company saw my posts about the schools, and will be delivering a pallet of books for the students soon. Yeh!

Please pray for the students and the teachers. They make huge sacrifices and work diligently to transform a community starved for help and the gospel.

Can you spot the subtle difference in these two photos – same house, time lapse of two years. In the top right corner of the one on the right you can see electric poles and lines.This home is near the church and close to where I am staying. Which means there’s a good possibility that we will have real-time electricity soon. We use generators now; the reliability and ease of being able to turn on the switch will be wonderful.

I am constantly amazed at the work being done here. With scant resources, careful ingenuity, and sacrifice the gospel is being proclaimed faithfully at GraceLife Churches and schools.

Makes me smile. A Lot.

Thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to come. I wouldn’t trade this for the world.

We spend time on the internet. Time! The clock gallops as we harmlessly scan links and sites and videos and blogs and the news. We can feed ourselves with solid digitized food instead of the time gobbling videos, news stories, and assorted menu items there for consumption. Sugary snacks may satisfy the immediate craving, but will be disastrous over time.

Here is some good sold food. And a warning.

Challies.com His name is Tim Challies – a Canadian. He has a web site and a daily blog with links to Kindle deals, somewhat uneven in their quality, but some very good books at hugely reduced prices. I have reverted to Kindle books because of my travel. He also has links to other sites every day. Hardly a day passes that I don’t read something he has posted with great benefit.

The Gospel Coalition. A warehouse of great articles, sermons, and blogs. Trustworthy. GospelCoalition.org

Desiring God. A treasure: sermons, articles and free PDF books. John Piper and others. DesiringGod.org

NetBible.org An all purpose site with Bible study materials.

9Marks.org A ministry founded out of Capital Hill Baptist in Washington D.C. Great resources and handy 9Marks books on the church.

Crossway. Anything they publish is a winner. They also have supplied books for our trips to Africa at a huge discount so pastors can have quality reading material. Crossway.org

Trevin Wax. You can sign up for his blog posts at GospelCoalition.org

Kevin Deyoung. Same as Mr. Wax. GospelCoalition.org

World Magazine. The news from a solid Christian worldview. World.wng.org

The Berean Test. A Christian song review site. Give it a try. I like it. TheBereanTest.com

Laura Baxter is a Christian attorney who writes about the Bible, government, and assorted topics. She has published articles at The Gospel Coalition, the Federalist, and Servants of Grace. stirfrylaura.wordpress.com

Ligonier.org Everything from a gentler Reformed perspective. You’ll enjoy the material. R.C. Sproul founder.

Africa.GospelCoalition.org Gospel Coalition Africa! Yes. A great resource for African pastors and churches. There’s a link below that I’m requiring my students to read and write about. The prosperity gospel, not really the gospel, has invaded the continent like a hoard of locusts. Brought from the U.S. and syncretized with ancestor worship and witchcraft, it has taken on an existence that will move you to your knees. I pray daily for God to open eyes to see the error. They have taken the Holy Spirit, put him in a Trojan Horse, and now they’ve let him loose so they can play with him. That’s one of the reasons I’m here now. https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/article/a-trojan-horse-in-the-african-church-deliverance-ministry/

Pictures. They may not be worth 1,000 words, but they are worth something. I’ve added a little commentary below each one.

At GraceLife Seminary in Liberia, after the initial 7 days of instruction there are reading, listening, and writing assignments. Here is one of the sermons I will ask students to analyze and respond to. I will ask them how the sermon will change: their theology, their lives, their role as pastors, and how it will change how they shepherd their churches.

We should listen ourselves. How will it change us? Will it change our theology, how we live, how we serve, and how we die?

Click on the link below.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-beast-the-book-and-the-beauty-of-the-lamb