STATE MISSIONS: Is It Ever Too Late?
Is there nothing we can do? Our Lord said in John 9:4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” I seriously doubt most believers relate their service to God as work. Why is that?
Because work requires effort and energy. The farmer goes to town and buys the best seed, takes it home, puts it in the barn, and sits down in the rocking chair. Then, when his neighbors bring in the harvest, he sits idle and cannot understand why he has no harvest.
We are living in difficult times. It’s enough to break your heart. How cruel people can be to one another. And yet, we are to be a light in a dark land. Our churches stand as a witness to the love of an all-powerful God. Every time you leave your home and head to church, you are bearing witness to Jesus. Many today would cry to do away with the church because it is outdated. But friends, I promise you the day will come when those same people change their minds.
I asked you when I started, is it ever too late? Most ministers have led older individuals to accept Jesus. While we may think everyone has heard of God’s saving grace, it does not make it true. Nearly weekly, because your church and others like it send missionaries to share the good news, young and old alike are being reached. It is never too late until a person has taken their final breath. I’m also sure there are people in your area, whom you know, who have never heard the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? 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, except they are sent?” (Rom 10:13-15).
As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them who preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!
What would cause you to give your hard-earned money to men all over the state? I tell you it is love for lost souls. Friends, there is no telling how many hundreds, even thousands, have come to know Jesus through the ministry of our churches.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “This week, we have been serving several couples from the church who are experiencing difficult times in their relationships. Please pray they will draw closer to the Lord. As each of them gets closer to God, they will also get closer to each other.
“On Friday, we said goodbye to Jenny, who returned to Nicaragua. She was excited and enthusiastic because she was going home with her parents and siblings. Let us pray she remains strong in her faith.
“On Friday, I was also surprised with several celebrations for my birthday — I turned 59! I am immensely grateful to God for this new year and He has allowed me to live and serve Him in this work. I am very fortunate to have a wife who loves me, two children who love me, and a church that loves me. God has been good to me. Thank you for your prayers – asking God to continue transforming me into the man He wants me to be.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “Since it is November, the end of the year is in the air. The classes I teach have ended and last Tuesday the Hispanic Theological Institute concluded for the year. Thank God for my six faithful students.
“I will share a conference for pastors and leaders of BMA of Texas during their annual meeting. On Monday, Nov. 18, and Tuesday, Nov. 19, I will be speaking on cultural anthropology in missions and contextualization while sharing resources from NOVO (novo.org). I hope it will be edifying. I will be back on Wednesday.
“Last Sunday, we had a great day at Ebenezer. It was our Thanksgiving Service, and we had a very good turnout. We had live music when we normally sing with tracks. Moses Rico gave the Thanksgiving sermon. Our mother church, Chenal Valley Baptist Church in Little Rock, approved the licensing of Bro. Moses. It was a privilege to have Pastor Allen Morton and a representation from our mother church present. As I told you in our annual meeting, Ebenezer is entering a stage where we continue making disciples and preparing leaders. Thank God for the support of our mother church. Please continue praying for us. Thank you for your support. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had a great week at Faith Chapel! Several were out traveling, but we still had a very good number and a great time of worship!
“Thank you all again for the prayers for my mom. Please continue to pray as she is still in the hospital trying to get her kidneys functioning better. She is recovering well from the surgery and should go to acute rehab in a couple of days to regain her strength so she can come home.
“The countertops arrived, but one of them was defective and they couldn’t use it. They installed the ones for the fellowship hall and reordered the one for the ladies' bathroom, which should be installed before we move in. We are working on the sound system, the video monitors, and the camera while trying to put the finishing touches on everything else. We are still on track to have our first service soon. We are getting so excited and hope to see those who can join us for this special day. It will be such a blessing to be in our new building! Save the date — Dec. 8, 2024, at 104 Faith Chapel Lane, Flippin, Ark.
“We thank you again for all of your prayers and support. We could not do this without you. We appreciate you all so much!
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “We had a Friendsgiving to remember at Faith Journey this week! We combined a bring-a-friend event with our annual Thanksgiving meal, and it was great. We had turkey, dressing, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and more. Our bellies were full, but our hearts were even fuller with the sweet spirit in the room.
We had several new faces join us, along with our Faith Journey families. We are so grateful to everyone who invited someone and to those who helped with the meal.
“We had a blast at this week’s community outreach. We were able to attend our monthly ‘Mountain Movers’ Christian Council meeting at a local middle school. These students are eager to learn about the Lord and fellowship with their friends while studying the Word of God. We had one young girl accept Jesus into her heart this week. We are so excited to see how God changes her life and uses her testimony to touch others.
“We also had a large group at our nursing facility where we minister each week. We enjoyed a lesson and worship time and really had ‘church’ with these special people. Several of the residents’ family members have joined us during our weekly meeting. It is such an uplifting time, and we love seeing how God works in their lives each week.”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA: Roberto Marcelletti writes, “Thanksgiving is approaching, and as a church, we are very thankful for all the Lord, in His grace, has allowed us to do for His glory. It has been almost two years since we began our services, and there are many anecdotes.
Starting this week, our connection groups will be closed until January because we have already begun rehearsals for our Christmas service. It is beautiful to see children, young people, and adults prepare to give glory to our Lord with their talents.
“On Saturday, in the middle of our congregational devotional time, we presented to the Lord our proposed agenda of activities for 2025. Among the requests we made were plans for our first summer Bible school to invite the children of our community. Other requests include having a monthly meeting with the men of the church and scheduling two baptisms a year, some in May and others in September. Additionally, we proposed having an evangelistic service every three months for our non-Christian friends.
“We ended the week with a beautiful time of worship and continued with the expository series from John 8:12-20 — ‘I am the light of the world.’ At the end of the service, we went into the fellowship room to enjoy a delightful lunch together.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “We had a great week through Epic Life. We had five first-time visitors. A family of three visited our Woodbridge Group, and in the middle of the group, they stopped us and thanked us for the group. There was also a friend of one of our junior high students who came for the first time. In our Collective Worship Night, we welcomed a first-time guest.
Along with our Connection Groups and worship night, a large group of us went to Branson together to see ‘Pilgrim! The Musical,’ which is based on Pilgrim’s Progress.
“During our worship night, which was just for coaches and their families, we discussed Phil. 4:6-7. Then we put that into practice by doing a group prayer method called Seek and Share Sessions. To continue the application of Phil. 4:6-7, please join us in prayer for our coach households by name. Here are the last names of our coach households — Chadwell, King, Leatherwood, McCandless, Petrocelli, Sailors, and Simon. Pray for two prospective coach households — Stewart and Wright.
“Also, if you are in the BMA of the Ozarks, we are looking for help in the nursery. Contact me at jakebmc51@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more.”
El Faro #2 Hispanic Mission, Cabot/Jacksonville: Michael Hight writes, “We had a good week. We met some promising contacts from Jacksonville and the owners of a new Hispanic store in Cabot.
“We are looking forward to our next public service on the first Sunday in December. I also spoke at the El Faro men’s retreat and had a great time meeting some of the new guys going to El Faro in Little Rock.
“Please, and I can’t stress this enough, keep us in your prayers! For the next two months, we are having preview services on the first Sunday of the month. If anyone would like to hear about the work, I would love to come share about it. God bless each of you!
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Paul White
Arkansas State Missions Director Paul White pens a weekly column to inform the BMA of Arkansas concerning Arkansas Missions’ activity and includes individual reports from each church planter.
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