Our last meeting in Texas. We have been in Texas since January 14th, with the exception of one week in Oklahoma.
Tonight we had a good meeting at Gateway Baptist Church in Borger, TX (Pastor Chris Rawlinson). The Lord blessed us as we were allowed to minister in music and the Word of God. And it is our constant prayer that we will be channels of blessing to each church we visit.
I took a picture of this poster which was hanging up in one of the passage ways in the church house of Gateway Bapitst.
There is a very important lesson in this. If you do not like the product of your actions, you must change your actions. If you continue doing what you have always done you will continue getting what you've always gotten. Change requires that things change. Where things stay the same there will be no change.
Last week we were in Oklahoma and this week we are in the panhandle of Texas. We have been busy and have not had time to share a little extra with ya'll. You may have heard that 'every thing is bigger in Texas,' and we have seen that demonstrated in many ways. For instance, there is a steak house in Amarillo, TX that sells a 72 oz. steak. In Canada we call that a roast. By the way, that is a 4.5 lb. steak! We did not go there, and I do not have any pictures of that.
BUT--we did go to a hamburger joint, named Dave's Hamburgers and Chili. This was not in Texas though, but in Edmond, OK. Look at these babies...
When your burger is served with a fork and knife you know you are in trouble. These are not regular size buns, but the larger buns. I am thinking Brother Bill F. back home in Yarmouth would love these burgers.
Here are a couple shots of northwest Texas. These pictures were taken on I-40 about an hour west of Amirillo, which is part of the historic Route 66 highway. Route 66 is so famous because it was the first Interstate highway to reach across the USA from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
We saw our first tumble-weed blowing across the road this past week. They do tumble. I was travelling at 70 mph. so I was not able to get you a picture.
We are in Fritch, Texas with Faith Baptist Church and Pastor Don Rice. The Lord has greatly blessed us. We have been having a great time of fellowship with Brother Rice and his family in their home. On Sunday Adam and the ladies ministered in music, and I preached in Sunday School in the AM and presented the church planting ministry and preached in the PM meeting.
Fritch is in the Panhandle of Texas, which is the northwest corner of the state.
I preached from Acts 13... about Why was the Church at Antioch the powerful Missions Church that it was.
Texas has lots of rattlesnakes, but Fritch, TX holds the record at 9 foot, 1 inch, and weighing in at 97 lbs.
On Wednesday we headed to the other side of Edmond, OK to Edmond Road Baptist Church (Pastor Joe Mandrino). We had a blessed time presenting the ministry, ministering in song, and preaching the Word of God. Edmond Road Baptist Church has a man on deputation, Chris Bell, who is preparing to go to northern Brazil. Brother Bell was not at his church this night, but we had met him and his family at a missions conference just a couple of weeks ago.
Greeting from Edmond, Oklahoma and the heartland of the United States of America. We are currently at Calvary Baptist Church (Pastor Brad Lowrie) in Edmond, OK, which is immediately boardering the north edge of Oklahoma City. It is beautiful country.
Calvary Baptist Church, Edmond, OK.
On Sunday we had the blessing of being a part of Calvary Baptist's missions emphasis month. In Sunday School I had the privilege of teaching from Acts 13 about the Lord's Method of Missions. The outline included the points: The Institution of Missions, The Direction of Missions, and The Administrator of Missions.
The Holy Spirit evidenced His sweet influence over these meetings, as Pastor Lowrie delivered what the Spirit of God had given him, independent of me, in the 11am meeting; a message entitled The Mission of Missions, also from Acts 13. We could not have coordinated it better had we planned it.
In the evening I had the oportunity of preaching, and again preached from Acts 13, a message entitled, What Made Antioch Such a Powerful Missions Church? The points that I was able to cover were: Abundant Sowing of the Word of God, Adament Submission to the Spirit of God, Advanced Soldering on the Spiritual Battlefield, and Ardent Stand for the Truth of God. The points that I did not get to were, Absolute Sufficiency of the Grace of God, and Active Sending of Preachers of the Word of God.
Adam was able to minister in music. Here is a song that he wrote a couple of years ago, and he is accompaning himself on the piano for the first time in public. Usually he accompanies himself on his guitar.
On Wedneday morning at Tabernacle Baptist Church's Conference we again heard from four preachers. I did not mention it before, but the theme for this conference was "Dreams and Visions."
Jeremiah Sargent, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church
The first preacher of the morning was E. L. Bynum, a member of and the previous pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church. Brother Bynum preached a message entitled Unmovable.
The second preacher was Evangelist Bernie Gonzales out of Fargo Baptist Church (North Dakota). Brother Gonzales preached a message entitled Sweet Hour of Darkness.
Evangelist Bernie Gonzales.
The third preacher of the morning was John Nelson, pastor of Vandament Avenue Baptist Church in Yukon, OK. Brother Nelson preached a message entitled Dreams of Missions.
The fourth preacher of the morning meeting was Pastor James Turner of Metropolitian Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. His message was entitled Keep Dreaming.
On Wednesday evening we heard from Brother Bennie Gonzales as to his call and burden for church planting in Southeast Texas, near the boarder with Mexico.
This was faith promise night for Tabernacle Baptist Church and Brother Robert Sargent (pastor of Bible Baptist Church of Oak Harbor, Washington) preached to all, but especially to the TBC from 2Cornthians 9:10, entitled Seed to the Sower.
What a great time spiritually this has been and a great privilege to have attended and participated.
