Stepping out in faith

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)

Things in Latvia are changing for our family's mission as the Lord is sending us out from two church groups that we have been serving. Now we feel free to focus to our original calling: preaching the gospel to the lost, making disciples of new believers and planting a new church for the glory of God in Latvia.

And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation; but as it is written, "THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND." (Romans 15:20-21)

First, God answered prayer for a graceful exit from the Russian church in Ogre that we had been helping since May 2008. Pastor Vadim came back from his trip to America and let me share last Sunday about how the Lord is leading us forward in our mission.

And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:2-3)

The other group we are leaving is in Ikskile, consisting mostly of believers who go to a Latvian Baptist church in Ogre. Since January 2008 I had been teaching through Acts on Wednesday and we all hoped that we would see a revival in this city of 7,000 and a new church would be born on Resurrection Sunday. But even though hundreds heard the gospel in Ikskile and a few received it, the church didn't grow.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58)

We decided to continue offering Sunday services to the city hoping that it would take root as I taught faithfully through the gospel of Mark every Sunday for 6 months. I had 2 faithful translators and 2 faithful Sunday school teachers, but there was no one to teach except for the small group that has been praying for revival for 10 years. I decided I would be committed to feeding them the word of God and equip them to preach the gospel with me. But we were not all on the same page, some resisted my emphasis on teaching and equipping, while others where hungry for it.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. " (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

So again I sought to clarify our vision for planting a Bible teaching church this time attaching the name "Kalvarijas draudze" or "Calvary church". Now there are a few young people that are committed to studying the Bible with us, but none of them live in Ikskile. Those who live in Ikskile are no longer willing to plant a new church and want to change the emphasis of their home fellowship back to prayer for revival. So since God is leading us in different directions, we will be moving the Bible studies to our house in Ogre for those who are hungry for the Word. It reminds me of the book of Acts when Paul had to leave the synagogue but other effectual doors were opened to him.

"But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." (Acts 19:19)

So, Sunday September 28 will be our last service at the Culture Hall in Ikskile. For those who want to continue, we plan to finish the book of Acts on Wednesday and finish the gospel of Mark on Sunday from October to November in the warmth of our home. In December, we will be visiting our home church in California but we will be back by January, in order to begin an exciting plan to study through the Bible in 2009. But it is getting late, so I'll tell you about that next time.

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires" (2 Timothy 4:2-3)