It was my great pleasure to introduce Prince Paul Konu to friends this past month.  Prince Paul had come to the USA to speak at the annual report dinner of M/E International.  While he was here I was able to corral him for a weekend and bring him to speak at my church (Murrieta Valley Church), visit with several families and come to our Sunday night Bible study.

Each visit gave Prince Paul and I the chance to share the great things God is doing in Ghana among tribal people.  On the Monday night after his visit with my church Prince Paul spoke to the attendees of the annual report dinner.  Jim Ford, executive director of the board, also interviewed me during the meeting and I had a chance to share first hand accounts of what is happening through the ministry of M/E International in Ghana.

Jim Ford has invited me to join the board of directors with a primary role of developing the discipleship program for churches that are growing out of the immense response to the Gospel in tribes and villages in countries throughout the world.

M/E is especially burdened for China.  There about 4000 village evangelists whom M/E has participated with and the hope is we can multiply this 100 fold.

God had called us as missionaries and I had a dream of where I wanted to go.  BUT GOD…  God spoke to us about Mexico and we spend 15 years working in church planting and discipleship there.  We thought that our ministry was all but over when both Joni and I became ill, Joni with Lyme Disease and myself with 2 strokes.  This brought us back to the USA living basically and wondering how God could use us.  I began to write to Prince Paul and those letters had a huge impact of the ministry in Ghana.  Now Jim Ford wants me to put them to use in many countries and develop even more.  “Death of a Vision” it’s called.  When things die in ministry God is faithful and invited us to be even more fruitful.

And by the way, the place I had always had a heart for and finally figured I would never be a missionary too…

CHINA

What a way to live!!

Pastor Dave

Proverbs 2:1

The last blog was designed to be one to encourage each of us to be mining the treasures of the Word of God with due diligence.  It is very common for us to see or hear the Word of God approached much like it was in that blog.  It is fine to do so but there is a significant difference between writing a motivational devotional using a text and a study of the text.  When we look into the differences between these two you might think that what you are commonly hearing from the pulpit in the 21^st Century is primarily motivation devotionals.  It seems that as I visit churches I am not hearing as much of the expositional form of preaching as I once did.  Oh, it is being called expositional, but when the difference is understood these sorts of motivational devotionals will begin to seem more like a snack than a real meal.

What the previous blog did was illustrate a motivational devotional.  There was nothing inherently wrong with it but it was not the sort of thing that left you full and energized for very long.  It could be compared to the pep talk a coach gives before a game or the pep rally that was so common on Friday afternoons at the end of the school day in high school.  They are meant to get us excited and often do.  But the pep rally doesn’t win the game.  It was the hard work of the players, the skills that they had worked on all week, and the coach’s knowledge of the game that could account for the victory that we experienced.

So how differently can we approach Proverbs Chapter 2?

An over all reading will give us the sense that there is an outcome that is to be gained from a proper response to wisdoms appeal.  I’ve entitled my outline of Proverbs 2 as:

STABILITY RESULTING FROM

A RIGHT RESPONSE TO WISDOM’S APPEAL.

The opening appeal utilizes the simple qualifier “if” letting us know that there is a condition to be met.  “If you will receive my words” (vs. 1).  Over and over we need to be reminded that the New Testament parallel to Proverbs is the book of James. James 1:22 tells us to “be doers of the word and not merely hearers only, deluding ourselves.” Receiving God’s instruction from throughout Scripture always requires a response.  Each time we read or hear the Word of God we have a response.   We either respond with a “yes” or a “no”.  We are either willing recipients or stubborn rejecters.  It is easy to be a rejecter and still be so self deluded that we are convinced that we are obedient servants.  It is quite common to listen to Biblical advice, be excited about what we should do, but then seek out other “advisors” that will give us a reason not to follow sound wisdom.  Usually they are a peer that has about the same perspective on life as we do and not an older wiser brother.  Often and wise teacher of the Word will share some truth with us and we feel as if we are in agreement only to find that we have subtly subverted the truth by acting on a contrary advise.  Why do we do such a thing?  The Scripture illustrates this well in the garden.  Adam and Eve had a “better idea”, and look where it got them.  It always comes back to our pride.  We want to be in control of “our” universe and place ourselves in the place of God.  As silly as it may sound to think we can take over Gods role as sovereign of the universe, it is exactly what we do more often than not. 

Repentance is the call of the day.  I need to repent, we need to repent, everyone needs to repent and let God be God.  Who owns the universe?  Who created it?  Who sustains it?  Did I invent money?  Did I invent my brain?  Am I master of my destiny?  Until we repent of our proud, self-centered approach to everything and repentance becomes a way of life we will struggle with who is lord.  I may say Christ is Lord, but act in ways that says I am.  Who is the “I AM”?  Not me!

Proverbs 6:23 says, “The commandment is a lamp and teaching a light and reproofs for discipline are the way of life”.  Not “a” way of life but “the” way of life.  God’s ways are right.  My ways are wrong.  “Lord You are right and I am wrong! Please forgive me. “

So, as we consider the difference between a motivational devotional and really digging into the Word what can you discern?  The answer should be clear.  Motivational devotionals are OK, but OK is weak when compared to a thorough look at the Scripture.  A motivational devotional may seem to cover a dozen verses but exposition will give us feast from one word or one verse.  If you are a student of the Word or a teacher of the Word my appeal to you is: dig. Dig out the precious treasure that we all need so desperately.  The church is becoming anemic from a diet of fast food motivational devotionals.  Prepare a table before those in your charge just as God has. Awaken to the Word and the Word Giver!

What A Joy To Know Christ As Lord!!!

Recently Joni has three seizures in one week.  Each one exhausted her.  A common symptom for Lyme patients is something they refer to as “BRAIN FOG”.  Among many infected with Lyme Disease the brain is affected.  The Bb bacteria most commonly attacks joints first but is also know to make the journey inward to affect various organs, one of which can be the brain. 

How is the brain affected? 

First of all: any infection hurts the tissue where it is located.  In the case of Lyme patients who are taking massive doses of antibiotics the affect of the Bb infection is held somewhat in check.  Since It is a hardy bacteria and it is hard to kill many patients can only be treated to try to keep it from getting out of control.

Secondly: I was reading a research article that described another way that nerves are affected by Lyme and most commonly in the brain.  The Bb bacteria releases a toxin that inhibits the functioning of nerves.  This could account for the “brain fog” that is such a common symptom.  Add to that some of the bacteria being killed and the toxicity that these dead critters have on the area in which they die and you can understand the complications that ensue and the symptoms that accompany.

In a recent “BRAIN TRAMA EXAM” Joni underwent Vestibular Cochlear testing.  These tests determine to what extent the brain stem and junction between the brain stem and brain are failing to function properly. Seizures pointe to a serious problems for Joni in this area and the tests objectively confirmed the location.  Both visual and auditory input can trigger seizure for Joni.  The doctor administering these test has produced a set of glasses that limit the spectrum of light that Joni sees through and as a result have been very helpful to relieving stress upon her brain. These glasse also limit the amount of light input to the inside and outside of her visual field also.  Each of these working together help to relievea great deal of tension on Joni’s nervous system.  The doctor expained that normally we all filter out noisesaorund use but that in Joni’s cast she is not and that leads tothe brain being overloaded and the reulting seizures.

Though this is not a cure by any means it does provide a degree of relief to every day stress that Joni endures.  And as any Lyme sufferer can attest, anything that gives you some relief is welcome.

I had the great fortune to speak with Prince Paul this past Saturday morning.  The week before he had been driving through the jungle with his family and some associate evangelists on the way to visit a new area.  The van that they had just purchased to travel in caught fire and was completely destroyed.  When it caught fire the doors locked and everyone should have been burned alive but every person was able to escape.  All their possessions, Bibles and training materials were destroyed.  It was late in the evening and they were 10 miles from the new village with the sun going down.  Together they walked the 4 hour treck to their destination.  The next morning a service was held in the village and 38 people responded to the gospel. God 38. They Devil 0.

Prince Paul and I talked about the upcoming trip.  This year we will hold two five day seminars in the Volta area of Ghana.  We will most likely be using the the second series of letters written to Prince Paul: “The Six Essential Functions of the Church”.  In this seminar we will cover the Biblical model of the church found in beginning of Acts.  I am hoping to bring along several men who can also do some apologetics training and field applied theological questions.

The Study Bible project is going well. I have collected about 20 very nice used study Bibles and and number of Bible tools as well.  These will be forwarded on the Ghana very soon.  We are adding a request for good theological books for a library as well.  Prince Paul is working on getting a training center built.  Church’s have gotten together in several areas of Ghana and aquired land and cleared these areas to get them ready for training centers.  Considering that many churches do not have roofs it is quite a feat for them to move ahead toward making these centers a reality.  This attests to the value that is placed upon knowing God and His Word.

I can’t say that the bike project has been as successful.  You might say that so far it is an entire failure.  I haven’t gotten a single motorcycle yet but I will keep telling people about the pastors needs. 

If you have an extra study Bible or have Bible study tools or good commentaries we would sure appreciate them.  If you have a motorbike, motorscooter and motorcycle that you can give to a pastor they would be thrilled.  Pastor Paul asks about the motorbikes each time we speak.

Pray for each of us who are involved in this great movement of God.  Saftey for Prince Paul, his family and each of the leaders in Ghana.  Pray for Joni and I as I write for the Ghnaian leaders and we work toward another trip. 

What A Wonderful Way To Spend a Life,

Pastor Dave

If you have read “Letters To Prince Paul” either volume 1 or 2 you will have noted the mention of Desiring God or Bethlehem Baptist Church and John Piper.  During Prince Paul’s visit to “The Children Desiring God” conference he was able to meet with members of the conference and church.  The result of these meetings are that Desiring God materials in the form of CD’s are being provided to Prince Paul at no cost for the initial materials and note licensing fee to make copies for the churches in Ghana.

The “Letters To Prince Paul” were written because of the enormous costs that were demanded by organizations for the use of their materials.  It is quite a pleasure to see that John Pipers Church is Kingdom oriented and more interested in expanding the kingdom than receiving royalties.  This is the true mark of the people of God.  Those who truly belong to God want to see the Kingdom expand and are willing to share all that God has given them with others as freely as God has given us all things in Christ Jesus.  My heart is warmed and encouraged by this abundant gift and the pastors and leaders in Ghana are praising God for His provision of instruction in the doctrines of grace and opportunity to gain a greater knowledge of the Holy One.

To God Alone Be All The Glory,

Pastor Dave

It has been great to be part of the development of leaders in the great movement of God in Ghana.  During our visit to Ghana this past February, Pastor Joe Vogel and Idiscussed with Prince Paul the value of healthy doctrinal teaching and recommended that he visit the “Children Desiring God” conference held at Bethlehem Baptist Church.  Funds were made available for him to attend he came to the USA and attended the conference.

Because of the doctrinally sound emphasis that is seen in John Piper’s church we wanted Prince Paul to see how he could use this sort of training in Ghana.  We recommended the children’s conference because of the nature of the educational levels of the third world.  He agreed with us and after spending time at the conference was very encouraged by what he learned that could be done in the area of teaching sound doctrine.

Though the idea of using children’s ministry programing might sound a bit juvenile, you must investigate “Children Desiring God” before jumping to a hasty conclusion.  From our experience with most childrens’ Sunday School material it is hard to imagine how it would not be an insult to adults to use such simple material with them.  That is why it is important to examine both the culture that we are working in and the source of materials that we plan to use. 

1.  The national language of Ghana is English but the primary language spoken by most people will be their tribal language of which few of these have a written form.  The Bible that is most commonly used in Ghana is a very simple English version.  With this in mind it is important to have discipleship and doctrinal material that is very easily understood in the form of English that the Ghanaians possess.

2. “Children Desiring God” is not your run of the mill SS material.  This material teaches “the doctrine of the Apostles” and points all who use it to a high view of the doctrine of God.  Where there is a high view of the doctrine of God there is a high view of God.  The movement of God in Ghana is notably one that is God centered rather than man centered and we would like to guard this and keep it that way.  In the Americas we all can see that a man centered gospel has replaced a God centered Gospel.  How often have we all heard, “the church doesn’t meet my needs!”  Yet the same people who ask this question can’t quite explain what they need. 

What is our greatest need?  Many are “trying to find themselves”, but are not looking hard enough.  We define the idea of finding ourselves as finding some purpose that defines me in terms that bolster my sense of importance.  But the Scripture describes “self” as a hindrance to knowing God’s will and good pleasure.  From the Biblical perspective it would be good if we truly “found ourselves”.  What do I mean by that?  If I became fully aware of what my “self” was like I would be appalled.  Self is at odds with God.  The big “I” wants to “be like God”, or put in modern terms “be the god of my own universe”.  Finding myself is elusive as long as I am looking for something high quality, grandiose or special.  Truly “finding myself” will lead me to Calvary.  Knowing what my heart is like will reveal the utter depravity of my soul, the ugliness of my absolute self centeredness and all the barriers that I have carefullyconstructed  and  maintained to protect my enormous ego.  Simply put, “I should be broken before God and sorrowful to the point of death” at a true knowledge of myself.  Sounds terrible but… it is the best thing that could ever happen to us.  This won’t happen without God’s involvement.  Because we are so self protective we wont’, or better put can’t, let this happen.  It takes a work of a sovereign God to reveal our hearts to us.  This is an act of love on the part of God.  We need to see our awfulness and when we do it is a work of God drawing us to HIM.  God doesn’t reveal our awfulness to put us in our place.  He reveals our awfulness to make us aware of our desperate need for grace and in the following moments pours out His marvelous grace upon us.  It is after He has let us see our sinfulness that he reveals His mercy and grace and forgiveness and pours His Spirit into our spirits to redeem us for all eternity and make us His own.

Once we have understood our sinfulness and His wonderfulness why would want to return to living for ourselves?  From that day forward we want His life to be manifest in us.  When a person truly seeks God it is because God has opened his heart.  We are too stubborn, too proud , to self centered, and too self protective to be able to overcome these characteristics and become seekers of God.  We “Desire God” because, in His mercy He overshadows our sinfulness with His power to draw us to Him.

Remember to continue to pray for Ghana, Prince Paul and the next series of letters on marriage that are being formulated for the leadership there.

What a Way To Live

Pastor Dave

Joni and our daughter Kim flew out to Miami, FL for the taping of “The Cristina Show” at the beginning of this week.  The Cristina Show is aired throughout Latin America and in the US on the Univision Network and is watched by millions of Spanish speakers.  For you gueros, Cristina would be best described as the Latin American equivalent of Oprah.  For us Latin Americans Oprah is the English speaking equivalent of Cristina.

They contacted us through our Facebook group “Living With Lyme” and wanted to do a special on Swine Flu and Lyme Disease.  Joni and Kim were on the panel of “experts”.  There were two doctors, a Lyme patient (Joni) and a family member (Kim).  During the taping Cristina did a good job of representing the facts about Lyme Disease.  Cristina’s goal was to raise awareness of Lyme Disease and it sounds like she did a good job.  We want to thank “The Cristina Show” for the invitation and for treating Kim and Joni so well during their stay in Miami.  Joni and Kim played a small part of the show but were able to have concrete input to the panel and were able to have a signifiacnt effect on the show’s staff and audience.

The lights and sound of the studio affected Joni to the point that she folded (one of her seizures) almost immediately after the taping.  They helped her and Kim back to the hotel (a suite bigger than most homes) and she came out of it as usual in about 3 hours.  Joni was able to rest until her flight back the next day and was good until about 3 hours into the flight and had another seizure.  All the traveling, taping and excitement was too much, too fast for her.  American Airlines has a lift team that got Joni off the plane and brought her all the way to the car and lifted her in so we could make the trip home.  (Thanks American Airlines!)  By the time we got home she could get up on her feet again.

Two seizures in this short of time have drained her physically and neurologically.  I expect that she will need more than a week to recuperate.   Joni was thrilled to be part of such an opportunity to make Lyme Disease known better by the general populace.  Though she sufferd the 2 seizures she considers it a privilege to be honored with this invitation to represent Lyme Disease patients internationally.  Joni says, “It was worth all the difficulties of the siezures just to know that people will be better informed and aware of Lyme Disease”.

If you have not seen the documentary “Under Our Skin” (underourskin.com) we’d like to encourage you to view it.  The producer of this film does a fine job of researching and following Lyme patients through their difficult lives and treatment, as well and educating the public on how widespread and difficult it is to treat Lyme.  He chronicals the struggle that many Lyme Literate doctors face against the medical status quo when they treat Lyme as it should be.

Until Next Time,

DAVE & JONI

In the mid 1800’s there was a “gold rush” in California where a great deal of gold was dredged from the rivers, hills and mountains.  Rumors reached the east coast of the Americas that nuggets of gold could be found lying around on the ground.  Thousands of fortune seekers headed for California as a result.  The truth was that those who became successful prospectors were the men who had tremendous patience, endurance and a will to suffer under the yoke of hard tortuous labor.  Some unearthed fortunes, many found encouraging but limited strikes, other a handful of gold flakes, but the majority more painful work than they could endure. 

How does this relate to the present section of Proverbs?  As we will note in the verses that we are about to view it is a good illustration fo the necessity to persevere as we dig deep into the Scriptures.  Great treasure is to be amassed to those who mine it with diligence and perseverance.

Proverbs 2:1-9  (1) My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, (2) make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; (3) for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; (4) If you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures; (5) then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. (6) For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (7) He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, (8) guarding the paths of justice; and He preserves the way of the godly ones. (9) Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course.

The perseverance of seeking the wisdom of God is clearly seen in the use of focused phrases in the first 4 verses in this chapter:

• receive my words
• treasure my commandments
• make your ear attentive to wisdom
• incline your heart to understanding
• cry for discernment
• lift your voice for understanding
• seek her as silver
• search for her as hidden treasure

Like a miner who labors with infatigable pains so should our efforts be to unearth the immeasurable riches of the Scripture.  How often have we seen the picture of the solitary prospector with his pack animal and tools?  This solitary pursuit of the riches of wisdom found in the Bible should be a picture of us.  Most likely we will find ourselves off on our own searching the scriptures, working patiently and diligently with the tools of interpretation, word studies and commentaries crying out within our hearts for a golden nugget of truth and understanding.  In this labor of love our fellowship with God in prayer will grow.  Just as the prospector hopes and prays for a valuable mineral find, we too will find ourselves crying out to God for wisdom in the midst of this pursuit.  The pursuit of of these riches will thus deepen our prayer life in communion with God.

THEN you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. (vs.5) I ask students entering the seminary where I teach the reason that they are there.  I write the numbers 1 – 10 on the white board and ask for a list of reasons why they have set aside this time of life to study with us.  Once the answers begin to flow I start writing at number 2 and then erase 3 and write 2, then erase 4 and write 2 and so on.  Many come to know the Bible better (2), or to be a good pastor (2) or to teach children better (2) or to learn to expound the Scripture well (2).  They sit curiously as I number all of these answers with a two while the number 1 has nothing written beside it.  Finally when someone says, “I came to get to know Jesus better,” and I fill in the number 1 spot. You see, knowing God precedes everything else.

In verse 6 we read that it is the Lord who gives wisdom.  In verse 7 it is He who stores up sound wisdom for the upright, and it is He who is a shield for those who walk in their integrity.  When we are seeking first the King in the Kingdom of God then all other things are added unto us. (adapted from Matt 6:33)  After all the kingdom is all about the King.

What a Way to Live,

Pastor Dave

During our mission trip to Ghana this past month we saw some needs that I believe we help to meet.

1. Less than 1 in 50 church members in the huge rural awakening own a Bible.  Some places the ratio is even less.  A simple hard cover Bible costs $7 and can be purchased from the International Bible Society in Accra, Ghana.  Anyone who can donate toward that should contact me and I’ll be glad to share with you how you can send donations to Ghana.

2.  Pastors and evangelists (now 1000) usually own a simple Bible but are praying that they can come into possession of a study Bible.  I gave my Ryrie NASB to a pastor as we had lunch one day and found out that he had been praying for this.  A study Bible is a rare thing and would be a great pleasure as well as a great tool for these men.  I’m sure that there are thousands of these lying around households that could be put to good use and glorify God in Ghana.  I’m checking into to the cost of shipping books.  Prince Paul’s ministry has been given an examption form import duty for all that they are doing for the Ghanian people.  Good study Bibles would be ones like:

Ryrie Study Bible – McArthur Study Bible – Reformation Study Bible

Life Application Bible – Thompson Chain Reference Bible – etc.

3.  Transportation to remote villages takes a huge amount of time.  The pastor who I gave my Bible to walks 35 kilometers to one of 2 churches that he pastors.  Evangelists travel by foot to many remote locations on narrow paths as well.  As a result bicyles and motor bikes would be a very useful  for them to be able to get to these locals easier.

Here’s what I am proposing:  Find a 20′ shipping container and pack it with bicycles and motor bikes as well as Bibles.  I’m sure that there are loads of bikes and motorbikes or motorcycles collecting dust which are drying up and becoming useless.  Before corrosion sets in why not donate them to Ghana.  I’m hoping that they would be in good condition and am willing to store and work on shipping them.

Please Pray for:

A 20′ shipping container.

Study Bibles.

Good used Bicycles.

Good used motorbikes, motorscooters, or motorcycles.

Thanks for your prayers,

DAVE

How in the world am I supposed to write about a 21 day mission in Ghana in a blog?  There is just too much to tell.  I’ll just start writing and see where it goes.

In America we are lamenting the regressive moral state of the union looking back to the “good old days” but not really knowing what to do next.  Here’s a thought: Visit Ghana.  Yes, visit Ghana West Africa and see what a nation living with the fear of the Lord looks like first hand.  I’d heard stories about awakening in Ghana but after seeing the sovereign hand of God I am even more perplexed about the condition of the United States.

After hundreds of years of occupation by foreign powers Ghana attained it’s independence in 1957.  Through the first several decades struggles for stability plagued the new nation.  By 1980 it seemed to begin to settle down.  The past influence of the English church had had a great effect on the nation and it chose to use the Bible as its guide book for governing and reform.  They seemed to adopt a cultural Christianity and then the Charismatics and Evangelicals arrived.  Through the preaching of these Christian evangelists and the coastal communities already having a healthy respect for the Bible began to embrace Jesus Christ in mass.  The evidence of this can be seen in the numerous churches that fill the coastal regions and the naming of businesses with Biblical titles.  I observed a beauty salon with a sign out front stating, “With God All Things Are Possible, Beauty Salon”.  Almost every taxi has a Christian slogan painted across the rear window. The signs of an evangelistic movement are everywhere.

Prince Paul came to Christ as a result of this great move of God but he noted that though many people were coming to Christ, not so many were becoming disciples and carrying the message of Christ back to the villages where most of the new city dwellers originated from.  These account for more than 50% of the population of Ghana.  He also noted that the movement was decidedly foreign in its worship style.  As a result Prince Paul decided to plant a church in the capital city of Accra that was a disciple making Bible teaching church.  In 1995 Bible Baptist Church started as a small meeting with Prince Paul Konu, his wife and children.  It has grown to 300 adult members at the present.  But just teaching the Bible was not enough.  Prince Paul was burdened for the villages all over Ghana with little to no Christian witness.  In 1998 he began to visit the tribes in the Western Ashanti region because they had been dislocated from their native lands when the Volta River dam flooded their homes forcing them to move.  Not being able to own property there, they became a type of slave to the new tribes where they were relocated or they slipped away into the dense jungles to live off the land.  This is where Bible Baptist Church began its first church plant.  Between daughter and grand-daughter churches there are now 32 strong established churches among tribal villages throughout Ghana.  Using the cassette evangelism system of Village Evangelism there are now about 1000 evangelists walking through the countryside sharing Christ and seeking to gather the elect into churches.  It is an amazing site to behold.  It reminds me of the stories of the circuit riders of early America.  In addition to the church plants of Bible Baptist other church movements including the Assemblies of God, the Ghaha Baptist Conference and various Pentecostal movements have sought out Pastor Paul to instruct them on village evangelism as well as church planting methods.  The result has become a network of numerous churches working in concert, unified to complete the great commission and make disciples through Ghana and among tribes as far away as the Sahara Desert. 

One of the seminars was held in the city of Tamale which is about 90% Muslim.  This was a short notice meeting but still 64 pastors attended.  At the beginning of each seminar we ask the question, “What does it mean for God to be sovereign?”  In most seminars we received initial answers that described characteristics of God but not in Tamale.  Here we had 64 converted Muslims all pastoring and planting new churches in the face of much opposition but fearless because of their grasp of the sovereignty of God.  Each had been given a funeral by their families.  Men stood up all through this group expressing the clearly Gods’ reign in affairs of men.  Their Muslim background made this a clear doctrine that they had grasped immediately upon coming to know Christ.  As a result the Tamale group started where the others seminars normally ended.  Did we ever have a great time together.

Our job this past month was to meet with 370+ of these church leaders throughout rural Ghana and hold 2 day training seminars to help these evangelists and pastors grow in their knowledge and relationship with Christ.  We held 3 seminars in the northern region and 2 in the eastern Volta region as well as spending time visiting the western jungle churches.  Every seminar was filled with men and women who had great expectations to learn more of the greatness of God.  We had the pleasure of serving up a banquet of delights from the Bible that touched each person deeply.  What a delight to have so many hungry disciples with such enthusiasm and focus on the great commission.  I have had some wonderful experiences as a teacher of the Bible but have never seen such depth of commitment and strength of character in so many people all at once.  When the northern seminars were over we were each given chieftain titles that we were told would be registered with the main tribal group of the north that extended as far north as the Shara Desert.  My Ghanaian name is Naa Ziniah.  (One who brings light to the minds of our people.)  

Though we worked or traveled non stop for 21 days with little rest, often sleeping between potholes in the back of a van we have to say that a trip like this gives one much more energy than it takes.  My partner in ministry, Joe Vogel, will be putting together a Power Point soon.  When it is complete we will make it available for you to view via this blog and or our web site.  What a pleasure it has been to be able to join God where He is at work.

What a Way To Live,

Pastor Dave