Final Preparations for Liberia
Hello friends and family,
Here’s is our most recent, October 31, family picture – note the really cool costumes – Toy Story themed. Included are Vickie’s mom, who has been staying with us for several months, and her sister visiting from Wyoming. The family resemblance is quite remarkable. One of us is featured on the iPhone. Covid kept him in Chicago for the holidays:(( Our little playground photo shoot was a lot of fun.
Liberia News – January to March 2021
Tuesday morning, January 5, I board a flight at LAX and arrive in Liberia Wednesday night at 10:40pm. Two days later, Friday, I meet in class with 12 men all day. I will be teaching them how to teach our non-formal curriculum. Please pray for them and pray for me. It will be a long, good, productive day.
Sunday morning I kick off a series on the book of Colossians, at Grace Life Church, which meets at the Bible College and Seminary. I will be team teaching/preaching through this great book while I’m in Liberia.
Monday morning I begin teaching for 3 1/2 hours each day 1 and 2 Samuel. There will be approximately 20 students from 5 countries in West Africa. My goal is to give them a good understanding of the contents of 1 and 2 Samuel and help them with the skills necessary for understanding and teaching/preaching biblical narrative. The class meets for seven days, excluding Sunday. I will finish on Monday, January 18. Then I take a break before teaching again in February.
I will be mentoring with students one-to-one, teaching two more formal classes in February, preaching on Sundays and helping with setting up the library for the schools.
On the left are the textbooks for my classes. The most important is the one on the right. Make it your lifelong companion.
The little book next to the Bible is packed with insight for interpreting biblical narrative. It is required reading for my class on 1 and 2 Samuel.
“God’s Design for the Church” is a brand new volume written by an African pastor for the African church. It also is required reading for my Pastoral Theology class.
In February I will teach “Introduction to the N.T. – Gospels and Acts.” This book by Michael Kruger will be of great help for these pastors in preaching from the New Testament.
And finally, a large volume, The ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 3. It will be a great aid in understanding 1 and 2 Samuel. It will also prove to be a valuable resource in the future if they choose to teach from the historical books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles.
All of these books have been purchased at a great discount from the Christian publishers, Crossway and Mentor Press, in order to train church leaders in Africa.
Without your prayers and financial support this trip would not be taking place. A colossal thank you for your help. I will be sending updates on a regular basis and pictures of my students so you can be praying for them. Please pray that they understand the material and that it will help them as they lead their churches.
Thank you,
Bob, for Bob and Vickie
New Year’s Resolution Time. I’ve been Thinking that I Should…
It’s past time to start thinking now about next year, resolutions, and having an impact for the kingdom of God.
We’ll begin with some sermon excerpts from Charles Spurgeon, then the song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5, and finish with a challenge.
“Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Note the words “be done,” for they touch a vital point of the text. God’s will is done in heaven. How very practical! …
My brethren, I am afraid that Christ’s will on earth is very much more discussed than done. I have heard of brethren spending days in disputing upon a precept which their dispute was breaking. In heaven they have no disputes, but they do the will of God without discord. We are best employed when we are actually doing something for this fallen world, and for the glory of our Lord. “Your will be done”: we must come to actual works of faith and labours of love. Too often we are satisfied with having approved of that will, or with having spoken of it in words of commendation. But we must not stay in thought, resolve, or word; the prayer is practical and business-like, “Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Now for Deborah and Barak in Judges 5. God’s people are in a pickle and it’s time for war. Spoiler alert: they win and Deborah leads/gets the credit. Then she and Barak reflect in song on the call to battle and the battle itself.
5:2 – the leaders led and the people served willingly – good form all around – praise the Lord!
5:9 – the leaders offered themselves willingly – it wasn’t just the people who served – blessed be the Lord!
5:14-15a, 18 – many tribes of valiant warriors risked their lives – good for them!
5:15-17a – there were three tribes of talkers, thinkers, and contemplators – at the beach no less (I love pondering things at the beach!), but they never did anything – a lot of hmmmmm-ing, and wows, and good ideas, and soul searching, and sitting. What a legacy for thousands of years of Bible students to read. Tribal committees at their best. Let’s have a meeting at the beach and we can discuss the problem!
5:24-27 – Jael. Now this is a serious woman. Most blessed! May all the mothers of the church have her courage.
The New Year’s resolution time. The guy on the right is not on his way to the beach. He’s on his way to die for what he believes to be true. Sure he contemplated, but he didn’t stop there.
So here’s the plan:
Pray. Pray desperately. Pray hard. Pray that the amazing realities revealed to us in the Bible would grab your heart.
Read the Bible and read some more until you are properly amazed at our God.
Get serious about living for the Lord. Read Luke 14:25-35.
Talk to your leaders at church and offer yourself willingly. Here are some suggested words, “Tell me what to do.”
Prepare to do anything, be a servant. No grumbling, complaining, humphing, or arguing. Just do it. It’ll make you happy if you are a true believer.
Make some decisions and then valiantly do something.
Get ready to die for what you believe is true, Matthew 10:38-39.
Set your hope on heaven.
Isaiah 32:8, “But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
My Hope is built
It good to go to a house of mourning.
It makes you long for home.
Civil War in Ethiopia, Update on Liberia
Training Leaders International has three training sites in Ethiopia. The current unrest means that even when Covid restrictions are lifted we will not be able to go. I was in Ethiopia 3 times in 2019 and the believers there are near and dear to me. The city of Ambo, where we have a great training site, is at the center of the conflict in the west. Pray for their safety. Pray for peace. Pray that the gospel would advance in the suffering. Thank you.
![A member of Tigray police is pictured at a checkpoint in the region [File: AFP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/000_8PM4L9-1.jpg?resize=770%2C513)
My preparation for Liberia is going well. I’ve immersed myself in 1 and 2 Samuel and it’s been a huge blessing for me. I still pinch myself that I get to do this and it’s my job! I will be teaching some other classes at the Bible College – yet to be determined. The funding for the trip is almost complete. The plane tickets have been purchased. Huge thanks to all who contributed extra funds. God is good. More later.
A couple of links below to the conflict in Ethiopia. Sadly, the news media here will probably not mention it.
