There are so many ideas and misunderstandings about what a missionary is and is not. When I would confide in someone about my calling as a child, I would get a variety of responses. Some would say something meant to humor me; “that’s good son, keep the faith and God will use you.” Others would tell me how dangerous it was and try to convince why America was the place to be. Most of all, I found that there was simply a lack of understanding (through no fault of their own) about the ins and outs of missionary life.

I will soon be returning to Central America for the third time. When I tell people what I do, I still get a variety of responses. How can I explain this burden when I don’t fully understand it myself?

Invariably someone will ask the question of all questions; “aren’t there places and people in America that need the gospel? “ The answer, of course, is yes. “Can’t you do missions work here at home?” Again the answer is yes.

Just what is it that compels me to leave my friends and family to travel to a place hundreds or even thousands of miles away? A craving for adventure? No, for that would soon grow old. A desire to feel fulfilled? Although that may be noteworthy, it is not the primary motivation.

Then what is it? What makes me lie awake at night longing for a far off land? A place so real in my mind and yet so out of reach physically.

Perhaps it is a lady named Sarah whom I found in a ghetto in Honduras. Her children came to a Bible study and soon convinced her to join them. I will never forget the hopelessness that drove her to prostitution so that her children would not go hungry. But neither can I forget that radiant smile of peace when she was baptized in Jesus name.

Then there is Jonathan. He was the taxi driver who took me to church and on a thousand other errands. His marriage was on the rocks and he saw no hope for it. His wife did not understand his desire for God. I often wonder if He ever accepted my invitation to the local church.

The list of name goes on. Jose and Maria were alcoholics. Alberto loves God but needs the Holy Ghost. What makes these people any more needy than the lost of North America? Nothing. What makes me anymore special than you. Why should I go to them? I am no more special than others. But God has called and go I must.

I will not be living in a grass hut. I will have a vehicle and will shop in a “modern” grocery store. There will be challenges to overcome. My wife will struggle with the language as I once did. We will pray that we don’t make too many social blunders. It would never do to offend our new found friends.

Yes, there will be times of loneliness. Holidays are the worst. But God’s sweet spirit will be near. We will miss our friends at home. But every new soul born into God’s kingdom will be a new friend to share eternity with. I will have flat tires and power outages. I may even get sick and have to go to the doctor. But in many ways life will go on as normal as possible.

I will miss home, but I would not stay for any reason. I thank God every day for calling me to the foreign mission field. I am blessed beyond measure, for I am a missionary.

Sullivan’s Burden
_______________________________

I am a missionary. I was born and raised in the deep south on a country road and grew up in a “Christian” but non-church going home.

The fourth of four girls born to a military man who liked to travel, I was the daughter who was fascinated with “over there”. The daughter who could talk to anybody.

But my life was not complete. Only when Truth entered the picture was my life made whole. And only after coming to know the One True God has this life made any sense.

God works in mysterious ways. He gave me a hunger to meet people, to see places, and to go somewhere. My education was unusual. A rural boarding school with people from around the world was my norm. Most of the people were from Central and South America.

As God’s grace grew in me, my understanding increased. I realized I had a love for missions. Oh how I would cry when the missionaries came. “Follow the Lord”, they would say. But how? How could I, the fourth daughter go? I was the least of all. How could I make a difference. By being willing and taking a step of faith.

Who knew I would one day marry a man who had a love for Jesus at a young age? A man who felt the call to be a missionary even as a child.

I weep for a place I have never seen. I pray for people I have never met. I am constantly thinking of a country that can not compare to the U.S.

“Why go?”, you ask. Because I see faces of people in my dreams I need to meet. There is work that must be done and God has put if before me to do with his help.

Will it be easy? No, I have a lot to learn. But learn I will. Will it be fun? Life is fun. Living for God is never dull. Will I be lonely? At times, But God is my friend who never leaves. Again you ask, “why go?” Because I am a Missionary.

Gail’s Burden
_______________________________

Sullivan and Gail Jones Are Associates in Missions with the UPCI. They will be leaving shortly to the country of Guatemala as soon as their financial goal is met. If you would like to contribute to the Jones’ Associate in Missions fund they can be reached at : 601-928-8502, sullivanjones@gmail.com, or 105 Jerusalem Dr. Raymond, MS 39154

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Pakistan need your supports, join hands to save lives.

Evangelist Khuram Bashir

BBC’s Adam Mynott:Reports

‘It’s a catastrophe…and that’s no overstatement’
The worst monsoon rains in 80 years are continuing to sweep from the north-west to south and central Pakistan.

Rivers in Sindh province, home to Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city and business hub, are bursting their banks.

Pakistani authorities have evacuated 500,000 people in 11 districts of Sindh and issued warnings to people in low-lying areas of the Indus river.

Flooding has submerged whole villages in the past week, killing about 1,600 people and affecting another 4.5m.

There is mounting anger at the absence of President Asif Ali Zardari, who left the country for a state visit to Britain to meet the UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

With flood victims bitterly accusing the authorities of failing to come to their aid, the disaster has piled yet more pressure on an administration struggling to contain Taliban violence and an economic crisis.

And the region is only midway through monsoon season, with more rain forecast.

‘Unprecedented’
The situation is likely to worsen as the meteorological department has predicted heavy rains in areas already hit by the floods.

“We’re forecasting widespread rains in the country, specially in flood-affected areas,” Reuters quoted Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, director general of the department, as saying.

Authorities in Sindh have warned of major floods in the next 48 hours along the swollen Indus river.

“It is unprecedented floods in our history,” news agency AFP quoted military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas as saying. “We do not have the kind of resources to cope with a situation like this.”

Army helicopters have evacuated about 3,000 tourists stranded in the Kalam region of Swat district, which has been cut off after many bridges were washed away by flood waters.

Sixty boats have been sent from Lahore to Multan, in Punjab province, and Sukkur in Sindh province, for evacuation purposes, an army press release said.

Officials say the most immediate needs of the displaced are tents, plastic sheets, food and medicines.

The World Bank said it had set up an aid fund at Pakistan’s request with initial pledges of $80m (£50m).

Meanwhile, 90 people have died in flash floods in the Ladakh region of Indian-administered Kashmir, officials say; nearly 270 people were injured.

The inspector general of Kashmir police Farooq Ahmed told the BBC that the dead included four policemen who had joined the rescue operation.

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That same war is bleeding over into our own border states. Many thousands of our Hispanic friends are powerful Christians and we cannot expect them to fight this battle alone. They need our help in this battle.

Right now, in the name of Jesus Christ, we take authority and dominion over these demonic powers that have terrorized and intimidated the nation of Mexico. Be broken in Jesus’ name.  You spirits of drugs be bound and be gone. We pray the drug cartels will be exposed and judged. We claim a mighty revival of signs and wonders proportion in Mexico that will bring down the dark spirits. ”Devil, you cannot have Mexico. It has been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ!”  We pray for our 757 churches and preaching points to be protected and effective in reaching the lost.  We cover our three missionary families in Mexico:  T. Wynn Drost, Steve & Danita Drost and Scott and Linda Guinn.  We ask that you keep them and their families safe from harm. 

This is a critical hour for Mexico as they are now at a critical juncture in this long drug war.  Please, please strongly [consider] having your pastor take this to the pulpit next Sunday [...] and presenting this need to the congregation. Take some special time for Mexico next Sunday [...] August 22 and 29.

Thomas Suey
International Coordinator
World Network of Prayer

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Q: Mr. Boora, as a leading British/European Apostolic author, scholar and writer–who is also an expert on Indian religions growing up in a Sikh Indian family. Tell me about your new books: Apostolic (Acts2:38) and Post-Apostolic Baptism (28:19) volumes 1 and 2? 

A: Well, I studied theology and biblical interpretation some years ago with the renowned University of Wales through Kings Evangelical Divinity School. While studying theology, I studied a subject that touched on Apostolic theology, so to speak. 

It was this that spring-boarded me to research the subject of baptism in Jesus name in more detail. While researching, it made me realize that Apostolics have commonly quoted the Encyclopedia Britannica and Hasting Dictionary to name a few, for support of baptism in Jesus name. But these were merely top surface materials on the subject, since the greater depth and facts lay uncovered for decades in a theological and historical sense, with the exception of the New Testament of course. 

These books cite hundreds of citations that show baptism in Jesus name was performed throughout the ages since the Early Church to the present time. Most of these citations are unheard of in Apostolic circles or resources due to it being researched in Europe instead of United States. 

Q: Can you give an example of your research and scholarship? 

A: Yes, for example, The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in The Original Greek[1] 1860 A.D., notes the following: 

“He that is baptized in the Name of Christ, is baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity: for the Father and the Holy Spirit are inseparable from the Son. One person of the Holy Trinity does not exclude another but includes it…To be baptized in the Name of Jesus, is to be baptized in the Name of the Triune God, which could not be, unless Jesus Christ were God.”[2] 

This foregoing quote recognizes the validity of baptism in the name of Jesus, since the author notes that Jesus is God and in His name is baptism invoked and performed, since in His name (Jesus) includes Father and Holy Ghost, therefore the validity of baptism in the name of Jesus is evident from the above quote. The quote also notes that during that period of time baptism in the name of Jesus flourished, hence the reference to it. 

Another example in the United Kingdom is found in a work dated about 1866 A.D., entitled Re-Union of The Church – The Church and the Word Essay on Questions of The Day by Various Writers, which notes that dissenters were starting to baptize regularly in Jesus’ name, probably in Liverpool, England: 

“…but the form which is now becoming common among Dissenters “I baptize thee in the Name of the Lord Jesus.”[3] 

Another well noted British scholar, the late Professor Arthur James Mason (1851-1928), former Vicar of All Hallows, Barking and Master of Pembroke College Cambridge, and Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity Cambridge University (for his bio see Who’s Who, 1905 fifty-seventh year issue p. 35) adds to the list of scholars and is in close proximity to the Anglo-Catholic view, that baptism in the name of Jesus only is a valid form of baptism as recognized by the Catholic Church. A notation of this appears in his work published in 1893 A.D., entitled: The Relation of Confirmation To Baptism As Taught in Holy Scripture and The Fathers (2^nd ed.) published by Longsmans, Green & Co., London (1893). 

What the late British Cambridge University scholar and professor is informing us, is that, despite the stigma associated with the Jesus only baptismal formula, in that, it being termed by some as invalid despite scriptural evidence (Acts 2:38), the Catholic Church in Rome and the West in this era appeared to accept its candidates as correctly baptized, as noted by the preceding commentator. This view is brought out when discussing the issue of confirmation and baptism. Mason’s work notes quite distinctively that baptism in the name of Jesus is nevertheless sufficient to secure salvation. Thus, as Professor Mason notes (see p. 132 of the version published by Bibliolife, LLC): 

“Baptism, though uncompleted by confirmation, is nevertheless sufficient to secure salvation… and this, even if the formula be … only the name of Jesus Christ.” 

Therefore, the United Kingdom was home to baptism in the name of Jesus for centuries. However, volumes 1 and 2, as you personally know Mr. Baumeister, contain innumerable references, citations, journals, articles, treaties and book references–with reference to the recent findings from the 9^th century in the United Kingdom with respect to possible baptism in the name of Jesus–and thoroughly explains how the ‘actual’ transition took place from Jesus name to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, which is sometimes commonly misunderstood among Apostolic people. 

Q: Mr. Boora, I have read your work which has also been read by numerous other people around the world which include pastors, bishops, ministers, students, etc, and it has to be said that it is the most comprehensive well researched, scholarly and academic theological Apostolic work published on baptism in the name of Jesus out there, can you tell us a bit more about your work? 

A:  I would have to say, that to learn more about the published works, about volumes 1 and 2 can be obtained directly from the publisher Xlibris at the following website:  http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/author.aspx?authorid=58258  Or they can contact the Apostolic School of Theology directly and speak with them regarding my work that is being used for university level courses as recommended reading texts for students. 

[2] Ibid at p. 50. 

[3] Blenkinopp, Edwin, L. Edited by Rev. Orby Shipley, M.A. Re-Union of The Church – The Church and the Word Essay  on Questions of The Day by Various Writers. Longsman, Green, Reader and Dyer, London (1866), p. 180. 

Click here for original article posted by Paul Baumeister 

Click here for article detailing Mr. Boorah’s conversion to Apostolic faith

1.    Bible College is a safe place to find direction for life’s work.

Few students have a clear direction for their purpose in life as they graduate from high school. The temptation is to dive immediately into secular education. Some plan to get the general education classes “out of the way” while trying to figure out what to do in life. However, this is a very impressionable time of life. The sudden freedom of college life and being immersed in an anti-Christian culture is often too much for an eighteen-year-old student who may be away from home for the first time.

The Bible College environment provides an opportunity to experience some of the freedoms of growing up, but with the security of caring counselors, spiritual classes with God-centered instruction, and a structure of accountability. It is often in this stage of development where crucial questions concerning core beliefs and long-held values are asked. In Bible College, critical thinking questions are encouraged but the safety net of godly instructors and positive peer groups are present. By spending a year or more in Bible College, students have the opportunity to focus on their purpose and seek God’s will for their future.

2.    Bible College affords an opportunity to answer the calling of God for ministry.

Not everyone who attends Bible College will enter pastoral ministry or become a full-time music minister. Many will find fulfillment in various other ministries of the church, enhancing the effectiveness of the congregations in which they will eventually serve. There are others that have not considered a pathway of ministerial service, but who may receive a confirmation of the calling of God to the ministry while learning in the Bible College environment. I am convinced that many more people are called by God than those who actually respond to that call. In Bible College there is opportunity to block out the noisy clamor for secular materialism, vocations that promise prestige and rational pragmatic plans for prosperity. In a place that calls for a life of faith, discipline and service, it is easier to hear the quiet voice of the Savior, “Come, follow me.”

3.    Bible College provides intensive training for ministry.

There is no substitute for the teaching and instruction received from the local church pastor. Though this is valuable practical education, the opportunity to enroll in full-time Bible College instruction accelerates the pace of ministerial growth and development.

Bible College students are in class at least fifteen hours per week in addition to church services and the interaction with other students and ministers in study groups, personal discussions and faculty advising. Add it up and there could easily be twenty hours or more per week in active ministerial preparation and learning environments. In one year a student will have clocked more than 500 hours in the classroom, read a stack of books, wrote numerous papers, reflections and sermons, and read large portions of Scripture. The student will also have spent many hours in worship and prayer, heard numerous preachers and teachers, and been involved in several ministry opportunities never before experienced. No local program can hope to offer this amount of instruction and experience in such a short amount of time.

4.    Bible College facilitates the creation of a Christian network.

Besides the classroom instruction and ministry opportunities afforded in Bible College, there are myriad occasions to build life-long friendships and an extensive Christian network. There are few places I go that I don’t find former students, friends and associates from my four years in Bible College. In four years there is the potential to connect with three years of previous students and three years of future students. That is a decade of college students with which friendships and interaction may develop during the four years at Bible College.

Because our colleges are small, each student has the opportunity to know all of their college classmates. At the time, few realize that these men and women will be district leaders, pastors, music directors, and teachers in churches across the country, even around the world. Whether evangelizing, raising missions’ support, or seeking a new opportunity in ministry, this network will provide a broad base of contacts and a more accessible pool of people to which you can appeal.

5.    Bible College gives the opportunity to find a life partner.

Bible Colleges have long been derided as “bridal colleges,” the place to go if you are looking for a mate. It is true that many people find their life partner during their tenure at Bible College. It really is not a bad idea! One of my former college instructors said, “If you’re gonna pick oranges, you gotta go where oranges grow!” It is a fact of life that young people in the college age group are more likely to be looking for that right life partner than those at other ages. What better place to look for a mate than in a spiritual environment where other youth of similar interests are seeking their life purpose as well? It might not be the only reason to go to Bible College, but it is okay if it is one of the reasons to go!

6.    Bible College prepares students for a fulfilling life of service.

The “happiness quotient” should not be overlooked when choosing a vocation. According to one national survey the clergy tops the list in job satisfaction.  There are many other jobs that will provide greater financial rewards. Some careers may offer greater prestige in the community, but few occupations will provide the opportunity to serve with the overall satisfaction that is found in a life of ministry. What if you spend your life frying hamburgers, sewing bed sheets or trading stocks on Wall Street? All occupations have merit, but at the end of the day how will you feel about your choice of vocation in life? At the end of your life will you feel that you have contributed to somebody’s life? Have you made a difference in anyone?

7.    Bible College has eternal value.

There is no way to really know how the kingdom of God has been impacted by the ministry of the instructors in Bible College and the influence they have made on the church. A multitude of souls will be in heaven because someone attended Bible College, responded to the call of God, devoted her life to missions, or taught Sunday school, or became a pastor in a church. This is the contribution of our Bible Colleges that result in an eternal value.

Only eternity will reveal the extent to which lives have been shaped and transformed in Bible College. In my experience I have seen countless lives turned around and have heard their testimonies of how God altered their direction and gave them purpose through their Bible College experience. Young people need to hear those stories and be challenged to seek the same direction for their lives.

Of all the choices available to young graduates at the time of their commencement, attending a UPCI endorsed Bible College should be at the top of the list. Careful consideration should accompany prayer and godly counsel when making this most important decision in life. God is still calling. Who will answer?

 _____________________________

Terry R. Baughman is an instructor and the Executive Vice President of Christian Life College, Stockton, California. A graduate of the same college, he has also earned a M.A. in Exegetical Theology from Western Seminary, San Jose, California.

Click here for original article by Terry R. Baughman

The site is home to the Philistine city of Gath, the home of the ancient warrior Goliath.

Prof. Aren Maeir, of Bar-Ilan University’s Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, said on Wednesday that the temple may shed light on the architecture in Philistia at the time when Jewish hero Samson purportedly brought the temple of Dagon down upon himself.

Maier said the architecture of the Philistine temple, the first ever found at Gath, sheds light on what the temple of Dagon would have looked like, in particular the two pillars that anchored the center of the structure.

“We’re not saying this is the same temple where the story of Sampson occurred or that the story even did occur,” Maeir said. “But this gives us a good idea of what image whoever wrote the story would have had of a Philistine temple.”

Maeir said that seismologists who examined the site confirmed that a major earthquake occurred there, one that they estimated would have measured 8 on the Richter scale. The main evidence was the presence of several brick walls that had been thrown apart and had collapsed “like a deck of cards.

“If the seismologists are right, an 8 on the Richter scale would have leveled a major city. The intensity of the energy required to move the walls seem to have been from something very powerful,” Maeir said.

“We know that there is a very famous earthquake mentioned in the book of Isaiah and the book of Amos… What we have here is very strong arch-evidence of a dramatic earthquake, a natural event that left a very significant impression on the biblical prophets of the time.”

The site in Tel Tzafit National Park, which contains one of the largest ancient ruin mounds in Israel, saw near-continuous human habitation from the fifth millennium BCE until today.

Other major finds there were evidence of the destruction of Gath by Hazael King of Aram- Damascus around 830 BCE, and evidence of the first Philistine settlement in Canaan.

Maeir said the items include the siege equipment used by Hazael during the attack on Gath, the oldest archeological finds of their sort ever unearthed.

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