Who Will Go?

By Michael Anthony

All who have experienced God’s saving grace have a responsibility to share the Gospel message with others. This is the highest calling there is in the world, because it involves people’s eternal destinies. Once a person enters eternity, his position with God cannot change. Therefore, it is vital that we do our part to help others prepare to meet the Lord.

This will not always be easy. It might require stepping out of our comfort zones or giving of our time and resources. However, the consequences and rewards are great, so whether introducing one to Christ or encouraging another along the way, we must commit ourselves to the cause.

For each one of us who received salvation and has continued in the Gospel, somebody prayed, somebody fasted, somebody made a sacrifice, somebody was committed to the Gospel. 

There were many who encouraged me. In May of 1997, when I was an usher in our local church, Brother and Sister Clyde Penn invited me to attend my first Portland camp meeting with them. From that moment, I began consecrating, seeking for my sanctification and to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

As an usher, I had keys to the building, so I would slip out of my house at midnight, walk to the church, and pray until five in the morning. I was preparing my heart to receive what God had for me—that is what we call consecration.

That year, on the first day of Portland camp meeting, Brother Dwight Baltzell gave the opening sermon that Sunday morning. His text was Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

On Tuesday night, after praying for two hours, I met Brother Duane Wilson for the first time. He noticed when I shifted positions, and as an altar worker, came alongside me and encouraged me in prayer. He was committed, he did his part, and I received my sanctification. Hallelujah!

On Thursday after the morning teaching, I prayed to be filled, and after a while moved from the altar benches to the chairs. I knelt in the third chair of the second row. At first, I didn’t notice that Sister Cynthia White of Chicago was sitting in the next chair. Then she said, “Lord, this young man seems to want something from You.” She didn’t know who I was—just a soul seeking more of God—but she prayed for me because she was committed to the Gospel.

As I prayed, I too made a commitment to the Lord. I was praying about Isaiah, chapter 6, and came to verse 8: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” There were not many ministers in the Caribbean, so I said to the Lord, “If You will fill me, I will go.” The fire fell and I was filled with the Holy Spirit. Praise God!

Many people had a part in my receiving these blessings from God. The Penns brought me to camp meeting, Brother Dwight preached, Brother Duane and Sister White helped me pray. Beyond that, there were people who prepared the cabins and provided the meals. Because all those people were committed to the Gospel, I was encouraged and prayed through to God’s blessings.

Somebody you know needs the Lord, and God is asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Make the commitment today to do your part. 

Michael Anthony is the Eastern Caribbean District Superintendent for the Apostolic Faith and pastor in Smith Bay, St. Thomas.

A Big Lesson from a Small Rabbit

By Boniface Banda

A testimonial about an event or object can be helpful. However, most often, experiencing it personally is far more valuable.

When I was a teenager, I spent some time in a village on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia. A group of boys there said, “Let’s go hunt for rabbits.” Being a city boy, I had never seen a rabbit. When we were hunting for the rabbits, one of the boys hit a shrub. A rabbit leaped out, and they started chasing after it. But alas, I ran the other direction because I was afraid. It was so embarrassing when I realized it was a small creature. The whole team asked me, “Why did you run away?” I told them, “I thought a rabbit was big,” because the stories I had been told and the books I had read caused me to think it was a large animal. Seeing a live rabbit gave me understanding.

The Book of John, chapter 4, records the encounter of Jesus with a Samaritan woman. Jesus asked her for water, and in the process of their conversation, Jesus revealed her true life. She came to the point where she started telling the Messiah about the Messiah. She said that when the Messiah came, He would tell them all things. Jesus said, “I that speak unto thee am he” (John 4:26). I believe that was a blessed moment. Jesus did not tell the woman this to embarrass her. He wanted to bless her. He wanted to give her the Living Water.

The woman ran to the village and told everyone, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29). Many believed what the woman said and came to see Jesus. They requested that He abide with them, and He stayed for two days. We read, “And many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:41-42).

Each person needs to have a personal encounter with Jesus. It is not enough to hear testimonies of those who have been saved from their lives of sin; of people who have been sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. Individual interaction with Jesus is necessary. The Spirit of God is faithful to reveal our sinfulness—not to embarrass us, but to give us Living Water.

An encounter with Jesus gives us a testimony. It will cause us to want to tell the world about this great salvation and the joy it brings. We will want others to experience Jesus for themselves.

Boniface Banda is the Apostolic Faith District Superintendent of Zambia.

God Can Fill Our Tanks

By Deivys Pichardo

In 1 Kings, chapter 17, we read that the prophet Elijah heeded God’s instructions and was sustained during a time of drought and famine. First, the Lord directed him to go to the brook Cherith, telling him, “Thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee” (verse 4). Then, the brook dried up, and the Lord gave new instructions to “arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” (verse 9). In both instances, Elijah recognized God’s voice, and trusting fully in Him, obeyed.

When Elijah went to Zarephath, he found the widow and asked her to bring him bread and water. She replied, “As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” This must have been a difficult situation for Elijah and a test of his faith. God had told him the widow would sustain him, but she had almost nothing. 

Elijah did not react with discouragement, because His faith was in God. He confidently told the woman, “Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth” (verses 12-14).  

The woman, though she did not hear directly from God, was also able to discern His voice and trusted in His direction. She “did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah” (verses 15-16). 

Whether we face a life-threating situation as Elijah did or a common circumstance, we need to be able to hear and discern God’s voice and be willing to obey His instructions. When our trust is in Him, He will lead us through every challenging circumstance.

One time, in the Dominican Republic, I was traveling with my pastor and several others to a church service. We were in the middle of our annual season when every church hosts special meetings. We were on our way from one church service to another in the capital, which was over an hour away, when our bus ran out of gas. It was 11:30 at night and the gas stations were closed. We waited for another vehicle to pass by so we could ask for gas, but none came. Finally, the pastor received inspiration from God. He had been listening and was ready to obey. He said, “Let’s pray.” We gathered around the bus, placing our hands on it and asking Jesus to help us. Then the pastor told the driver, “Let’s go.” Though the driver was not a believer, the command was confident enough that he got in the vehicle and started it. Then we drove to the capital, where we found a gas station open. 

Just as God filled the cruse of oil and barrel of meal for Elijah and the widow, He filled up our tank! When we listen for His voice, trusting in His direction, He will sustain us through difficult and even impossible situations.

Deivys Pichardo is the Apostolic Faith District Superintendent of the Dominican Republic and pastor of the church in La Romana.

Anchor to the Rock!

By LeRoy Tonning

Not long ago, a family asked if I would accompany them on their search for a house to buy. They wanted help in assessing the technical qualities of the houses. We looked at several, and I noticed that each had a nice outer appearance—the roofs, windows, and painted exteriors were all fine. Inside, the houses were styled with nice furniture, flowers in vases, and sometimes even a fire in the fireplace. On the surface, everything looked appealing.

However, I’ve seen enough houses to know that surface appearances can be deceiving. It is more important to know what is underneath, supporting the structure. One part of the building that most people don’t even think about is the foundation. When people are looking for a house, they need to ask, “Is the foundation sure? Does it go deep enough? Is the structure properly anchored to it?”

When the foundation is not good, the whole house is affected, and this can prove disastrous when tested. This is true in a spiritual sense as well. The one whose faith is built on a faulty foundation or anchored loosely will not be able to stand when the storms of life come.

The good news is that God has promised each of us a sure foundation for our faith. We read in Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” Then in 1 Corinthians 3:11, we see the fulfillment of this promise: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus is the Corner Stone! His sacrifice on the Cross for our sins laid the foundation for our faith, which is salvation through His shed Blood. By repenting of our sins, we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. On this solid Rock, we can begin to build a sturdy spiritual house—a life that is obedient to God’s Word, surrendered to His will, and ready for Heaven.

As we build, we will experience trials that test our faith, but Jesus can keep us. Some buildings have anchors that fasten to the foundation and go all the way up to the eaves. These stabilize a structure during violent storms such as hurricanes, holding it in place and keeping it upright. We need to be anchored like that to Christ, especially in these modern times that seem to be so fluid. We do this by daily turning to God in prayer for guidance, spiritual strength, and help in applying His Word to our lives.

Many people are struggling today, not knowing where to find their footing. Thank God, we can anchor our lives to the solid Rock!  

LeRoy Tonning is the Apostolic Faith District Superintendent of Scandinavia.

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Are You a D.I.Y. Christian?

By Michael Ivany

Each verse in the Bible has been put there for a purpose, and it is important for us to look at them in their entirety. Taking only a short phrase or applying the words out of context can be spiritually dangerous.

For example, Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” What would be the outcome if we were to take just the first five words, “I can do all things . . .” and apply them in our lives? Many motivational speakers emphasize that “the power is in you” to accomplish a task or achieve a certain goal. While we all need a measure of self-confidence, their message is, in effect, “You control your life! You can do anything you set your mind to!” Taking that message literally can cause problems.

The acronym D.I.Y., which stands for “do it yourself,” is commonplace in our society. Because costs are rising, many people are resorting to figuring out how to accomplish projects or repair items on their own. However, disaster can result when people attempt something for which they have no experience or training.

For example, my dad, Sam, was a skilled mechanic. When I was a boy, I often would see an unfamiliar vehicle parked in our driveway. Someone would be there wanting my dad to look at it. They would start out by saying, “Sam, I have a problem with my car.” They would explain what was happening and then say, “I tried to fix it myself, but . . .” My dad said his heart would sink when he heard those words, because he knew he would have to deal with their attempts to fix a problem before he could even start on the original problem!

I wonder if that is how God feels when we attempt to solve a troubling situation on our own. Perhaps when we are assailed by life’s storms or experience some kind of struggle in our lives, we think, What can I do about this? I must come up with a solution somehow. I wonder if God doesn’t look down and say, “Why don’t you just give the situation to Me? If you would only come to Me, I could take care of that for you!”

The words in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things . . .” were purposefully connected with the second half of the verse, which reads, “. . .  through Christ which strengtheneth me.” When we try to do something without Christ, our efforts may result in a disaster.

We want to give life’s challenges over to God. We do not want to be “do-it-yourself” Christians, but among those who rely upon Him for His solutions. When we trust God, situations will go a lot smoother. It may be human nature for us to attempt to handle trials on our own, but when we get further down the road, we’ll usually find the problem is still there. It may even be worse!

God has a solution for each challenge we face in life, so let’s purpose to trust Him in every matter. He is well able to bring about the right results without our assistance!

Michael Ivany is the pastor of the Apostolic Faith Church in Roddickton, Newfoundland, Canada.